Ben Shelton d. Arthur Fils 7-6 6-1 at Laver Cup There’s no better way to start the Laver Cup than with the wild, confident energy of Ben Shelton. No nerves in his 1st ever appearance. ✅1st match win at Laver Cup Well done. 🇺🇸
"Hope to have a fighting spirit like him": Shelton reveals how he took inspiration from Nadal at Laver Cup
Tennis NewsSaturday, 23 September 2023 at 11:00
Ben Shelton has revealed how he took inspiration from Rafael Nadal after his match win for Team World at the Laver Cup.
20-year-old Shelton made a major breakthrough at the US Open earlier this month, defeating the likes of Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe to make the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. This deep run saw him soar up the ATP Ranking to World No. 19.
Now, the American is competing as part of Team World at the Laver Cup in Vancouver, Canada. The rest of his team is made up of Taylor Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul, Francisco Cerundolo, and Felix Auger-Aliassime. They are facing off against a Team Europe comprised of the likes of Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Gael Monfils.
Shelton inspired by Nadal
Shelton proved his talent once again by defeating French player Arthur Fils 7-6(4), 6-1 to open this year's Laver Cup. Following the win, reporters likened him to the Spanish 22-time Grand Slam champion, telling him that he had a "Rafa-esque" vibe.
This led Shelton to explain that he believed his fighting spirit is similar to that of Nadal's and that he has often drawn inspiration from watching the tennis legend.
"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," he said.
He then went on to elaborate on these similarities, saying:
"I think that some of the things that, we have seen him do on the court definitely help me out on the court, showing some emotion, showing my fire, and trying to really come after the guy that I’m playing," Shelton continued.
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