Tim Henman heaps praise on rising American tennis star Ben Shelton - "He's going to be a nightmare to play against"
ATP
Australian Open quarter-finalist Ben Shelton’s firepower and raw talent make him a "massively exciting" prospect for the sport, says Eurosport expert Tim Henman.
The 20-year-old came out of nowhere to battle his way through to the second week in Melbourne, before succumbing to fellow American Tommy Paul in four sets.
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Shelton’s performance at his second Grand Slam appearance, after losing in the first round of the US Open last year, will propel him into the top 50 of the ATP rankings for the first time, and Henman thinks the best is yet to come.
"You’re not going to make the quarter-finals in Australia without being a good competitor,” former British No.1 Henman said on Eurosport’s Australian Open coverage. “What’s exciting as well is that his game is so raw. There are so many areas you can look at.
“John [McEnroe] was referencing his return to the hit point, he’s a long way back in the court, his volley technique is actually pretty ordinary. But if you’re coming behind a serve that’s 220 km/h, you’re going to get some easy volleys.
“The more he can put himself in that position, the more he can impose his undoubted firepower on his opponents, he’s going to be a nightmare to play against.”
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Shelton was ranked No. 570 this time last year but with the help and guidance of his father, former professional tennis player Bryan Shelton, he has shot into the top 50.
"Part of this is experience," added Henman. "A lot of times you say ‘we need to let this player, male or female, develop. They need to get on the Tour and experience travelling and playing in all these different venues.
“This was his first trip, he’s through to the quarter-finals. He was No.500 in the world I think in about May, and now he’s going to be top 50."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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