20-year-old American tennis player Ben Shelton has become a fascinating sensation at the 2023 US Open, advancing to the men’s singles quarterfinals with a thunderous serve. Ben Shelton’s fastest serve has reached speeds of up to 240 km/h.
Image:Reuters
Starting his professional career in mid-2022, Ben Shelton has seen rapid development. Recently, he surprised everyone by defeating fellow American Tommy Paul (seeded 14th) with a score of 3-1 (4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4) in the fourth round. This victory made Ben Shelton the youngest American player to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open since Andy Roddick achieved it in 2002.
Image: nytimes.com
World experts believe he can cause even more significant surprises in the tournament, mainly due to his lightning-fast serves.
According to statistics at the 2023 US Open, Ben Shelton is the player with an average serve speed of 203 km/h.
In the match against Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton hit two serves with speeds of up to 240 km/h – a record for this year’s tournament.
He mentioned, “In addition to serving, I find great pleasure in approaching the net as it allows me to utilize my net skills, track and field abilities, and even execute those overhead lobs over my opponents’ heads.”
Standing at an ideal height of 1.92m and weighing 89kg, this tennis player possesses a strong and muscular physique. His legs are also robust, allowing him to move constantly in matches to execute net plays.
Next, Ben Shelton will face a formidable opponent, fellow American Frances Tiafoe (seeded 10th), in the quarterfinals on the night of September 5th. Frances Tiafoe (25 years old) reached the semifinals of the 2022 US Open and only lost to the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
Both Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe share the commonality of being African American. Frances Tiafoe is excited about the matchup: “Two African American players competing in the quarterfinals… That’s impressive. I’m excited to play against him. Hopefully, it will be a great match.”
