"The way that I love to fight, that I don't give up": Ben Shelton looked up to Rafael Nadal out of the Big Three

America’s young tennis sensation Ben Shelton has revealed that he idolises the former world number one Spain’s Rafael Nadal.

The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles.

Shelton, on the other hand, is rated as one of the best young players currently playing on the circuit along with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

The 21-year-old was recently quoted in a report where he revealed that he looked up to Nadal as a source of inspiration.

"The guy that I looked up to was Rafael Nadal,” he said. “I think at times on the court, the way that I love to fight, that I don’t give up, could be some traits that I saw or learned from Rafa growing up. He was one of those guys who replicated it every match, every tournament. You could only hope to have a fighting spirit like him.”

Shelton showcased his talent in the recently concluded US Open where he played in the semifinal. However, he ended up losing that contest to the current world number one Serbia’s Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 7-6.

The Atlanta-born is now taking part in the Vienna Open where he is set to face Sinner in a round of 32 clash on Tuesday.