Showtime Shelton marks top 30 debut after run to US Open Quarter-Finals

The remarkable campaign of Ben Shelton will see him enter the top 30 for the first time in his career after reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open.

The 20-year-old American player has once again strung together several consecutive victories in a Grand Slam and is now in the quarterfinals of the US Open for the first time.

Shelton became one of the ATP Tour's revelations earlier this year thanks to a fantastic run at the Australian Open, where he entered as a relatively unknown and young player and reached the final eight of the tournament, eventually falling to Tommy Paul.

Despite quickly climbing into the top 50, the young North American struggled to find consistency throughout the year and hadn't managed to string together two consecutive victories until now.

However, once again, in a Grand Slam, he has showcased his ability to perform at the highest level in major tournaments, having now progressed through the opening four rounds of the US Open.

On his journey, he defeated Pedro Cachín, Dominic Thiem, Aslan Karatsev, and now Tommy Paul. This achievement ensures that Shelton will make a significant leap in the ATP rankings, as regardless of the result in his next match, he will enter the top 30 for the first time in his career.

At present, in the live rankings, he sits at world No. 27, and the closest player who could potentially surpass him is Matteo Arnaldi, who would need to reach the semifinals to do so.

Nevertheless, a place in the top 30 is secured for Shelton, which will grant him seeded status in most of the tournaments he competes in over the next few months.

For a spot in the semifinals, he will face his compatriot world No. 10 Frances Tiafoe, who defeated Rinky Hijikata in straight sets and is aiming to reach the US Open semifinals for the second consecutive time.

If Shelton secures the victory, he could play in his first Grand Slam semifinal and also secure a place in the top 20, matching points with Grigor Dimitrov, currently ranked world No. 19.