Ben Shelton is the first player of Team World to win the debut match of a Laver Cup edition. 🇺🇸🌐 Team World was 0-5 in opening encounters so far.
If a man named Federer and Ben Shelton team up, surely the young American has something going for him
Tennis NewsSaturday, 23 September 2023 at 11:30
Greg Rusedski has predicted great things for the future of Ben Shelton as he reminded fans that Roger Federer has a partnership with the young American.
20-year-old Shelton had a dream run at the US Open earlier this month, defeating Tommy Paul and tenth seed Frances Tiafoe on his way to a semi-final clash with Novak Djokovic. Although he lost to the eventual champion in straight sets, the young American saw a meteoric rise in the ATP Ranking following the New York major, moving up to World No. 19.
Shelton also showed off his powerful style of play, hitting 149 mph serves in his match against Paul. This is very close to the US Open record of 152 mph set by Andy Roddick in 2004.
Shelton backed by Federer in partnership
Before he was being backed by thousands of fans, Shelton entered into a partnership with 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer's sports management company TEAM8 in August 2022. He then went on to join On Running Shoes, which Federer invested in four years ago as part of an endorsement agreement.
As a result of this partnership, former British No. 1 Rusedski praised the young star and predicted great success for his tennis career.
"I think mentally, I think he’s pretty tough. And also, let’s not forget a certain guy by the name of Roger Federer is his clothing sponsor and his brand sponsor, so he thinks very highly of the young man. So I think he’s got a real opportunity and a good shot to do that," he said.
Shelton's association with his 'idol' Federer's company has expanded over recent months, with the Swiss tennis legend's agency members being seen in Shelton's box during his US Open quarter-final match.
They are currently both present at the Laver Cup. This was the final tournament that Federer played before he retired twelve months ago, and this year he was honored in a special ceremony and did the coin toss for the final match of the day on September 22. Meanwhile, Shelton is competing alongside the likes of Taylor Fritz and Tiafoe as part of Team World.
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