History of Ben Shelton in Timeline
American professional tennis player Benjamin Todd Shelton achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 13 and doubles ranking of No. 68, according to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), as of August 2024.
October 9, 2002: Birth of Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton was born on October 9, 2002.
2002: Andy Roddick Wins U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
Andy Roddick won the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in 2002, marking the last time before Ben Shelton that a player younger than Shelton won the tournament.
March 2004: Andy Roddick Becomes Youngest American No. 1
Andy Roddick became the youngest American to reach the No. 1 ranking in men's tennis in March 2004.
2016: Wins USTA Junior National Championship
In 2016, Ben Shelton won the USTA junior national championship in doubles.
2019: Wins USTA Boys 16s Doubles Clay Court Tournament
Ben Shelton won the 2019 USTA Boys 16s Doubles Clay Court tournament.
June 2020: Commits to Florida Gators
On Father's Day in June 2020, Ben Shelton committed to play collegiate tennis for the Florida Gators, coached by his father, Bryan Shelton.
2020: USTA Boys 18s Singles Winter Nationals Finalist
Ben Shelton was a finalist at the 2020 USTA Boys 18s Singles Winter Nationals.
November 2021: Begins Dating Anna Hall
Ben Shelton began dating Olympic athlete Anna Hall in November 2021.
2021: Clinches Gators' First Team National Championship
As a true freshman in 2021, Ben Shelton clinched the Florida Gators’ first team national championship with his victory at fifth singles.
2021: Wins ITA All-American Championships
Ben Shelton won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American Championships in the fall of 2021 without dropping a set.
2021: SEC Regular Season Title and NCAA Championship Win
In the 2020-2021 season, Ben Shelton helped the Gators win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season title and played a crucial role in securing Florida's first national title at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
July 2022: ATP Tour Debut and Cincinnati Masters Success
Ben Shelton made his ATP Tour debut in July 2022 at the Atlanta Open, defeating Ramkumar Ramanathan. The following week, he reached the third round of the Cincinnati Masters, with a notable win over world No. 5 Casper Ruud.
August 2022: Turns Professional
Ben Shelton decided to turn professional in August 2022.
August 23, 2022: Turns Professional and Joins TEAM8
On August 23, 2022, Ben Shelton announced his decision to turn professional and his representation by Alessandro Sant Albano, part of Roger Federer's TEAM8 management firm.
October 10, 2022: Reaches Challenger Final and Enters Top 160
Ben Shelton reached his third Challenger final of the year at the 2022 Tiburon Challenger, moving into the top 160 in the rankings on October 10, 2022.
November 21, 2022: Wins Three Challenger Titles and Enters Top 100
Ben Shelton won three consecutive Challenger titles in Charlottesville, Knoxville, and Champaign-Urbana, debuting in the top 100 of the rankings at world No. 97 on November 21, 2022. He became the youngest player in ATP Challenger Tour history to achieve this feat and the youngest American in the Top 250.
2022: Successful Season with Florida Gators and NCAA Singles Championship
In the 2021-2022 season, Ben Shelton helped Florida defend their SEC title, win the SEC Tournament Championship, and won the 2022 NCAA Singles Championship. He ended the season as the nation's top-ranked player and was named SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year.
2022: Wins NCAA Men's Singles Title and ITA National Player of the Year
Ben Shelton won the men's singles title at the 2022 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships and was named the ITA National Player of the Year in 2022.
2022: Participates in the US Open
Ben Shelton participated in the 2022 US Open, his first Grand Slam tournament.
2022: Turns Professional and Continues Education Online
After a successful run at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters, Ben Shelton decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and turn professional, continuing his education online.
January 2023: Australian Open Quarterfinals
In January 2023, Ben Shelton reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in just his second major tournament appearance.
March 2023: On and Yonex Sponsorship
As of March 2023, Ben Shelton is sponsored by On for clothing and shoes and Yonex for racquets.
September 2023: Reaches US Open Semifinals and Enters Top 20
Ben Shelton reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the 2023 US Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. He entered the top 20 rankings at world No. 19 on September 11, 2023.
October 2023: Shanghai Masters Quarterfinals and Japan Open Championship
Ben Shelton reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal at the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters, defeating Jannik Sinner. He then won his maiden ATP title at the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships, entering the top 15 in the singles rankings on October 23, 2023.
2023: Mixed Results in Early American Hard Court Season
Ben Shelton experienced early defeats at the Delray Beach Open and Mexican Open but bounced back with a first-round win at Indian Wells before losing to Taylor Fritz in the second round.
2023: Shelton's Tennis Prowess
In 2023, Shelton showcased his powerful serve, often reaching speeds of 126 mph. Notably, at the US Open, he hit two service aces at an impressive 149 mph in a single game. His aggressive playing style, characterized by strong forehand and backhand shots, combined with his ability to finish points at the net, has become a hallmark of his game. He also expressed his admiration for Roger Federer and his desire to further develop his serve-and-volley skills.
2023: Reaches Australian Open Quarterfinals and Enters Top 50
In his second Grand Slam appearance, Ben Shelton reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open, moving into the top 50 rankings at world No. 44.
2023: Breakup with Anna Hall
Ben Shelton and Anna Hall broke up sometime after early 2023.
January 14, 2024: Rolex Partnership
On January 14, 2024, Ben Shelton announced his partnership with luxury watchmaker Rolex.
April 2024: Wins U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships and Becomes American No. 1
Ben Shelton won his second career title and first on clay at the 2024 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, becoming the youngest champion since Andy Roddick in 2002. He reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 14 on April 8, 2024, and became the American No. 1, surpassing Taylor Fritz, on April 15, 2024. He became the youngest American to achieve the No.1 ranking since Andy Roddick in March 2004.
May 2024: Achieves Career-High Doubles Ranking
Ben Shelton reached a career-high ATP doubles ranking of No. 68 on May 20, 2024.
August 2024: Achieves Career-High Singles Ranking
Ben Shelton reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 13 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) on August 19, 2024.
2024: Cincinnati Open Success
Ben Shelton reached the round of 16 for the second time at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, saving a match point against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. He then reached his second Masters career quarterfinal with a win over Fábián Marozsán.
2024: Current Information Status
The information provided is current as of the 2024 US Open.