Key Takeaways
- Emma Shelton, older sister of Ben Shelton, was a former Division I player at South Carolina and Florida, reaching a collegiate ranking of No. 84.
- Shelton’s sister joined Morgan Stanley in 2024 and became an alternative investments specialist in July 2026.
- Ben Shelton repeatedly asked her employers for time off during Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, calling her “the lucky charm” from his player box.
Family support fuels Ben Shelton during deep Grand Slam runs
American tennis star Ben Shelton has reached the 2026 U.S. Open men’s final against Alexander Zverev, chasing his maiden Grand Slam title. Throughout his rise, one constant presence in his player box has been his older sister, Emma Shelton, whose own background in competitive tennis and corporate career have sparked viral moments on the tour.
A standout college tennis career before finance
Born in 2001, Emma grew up playing competitive tennis alongside her younger brother. Attending Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida, she earned The Gainesville Sun’s Player of the Year honors three times and ranked among Florida’s top players in the 18-and-under division.
When Emma committed to the University of South Carolina in November 2018, she expressed deep pride in reaching collegiate tennis’s top division. “I have been working toward this goal since I was so young. And to be able to share it with my friends and family is an amazing feeling,” she explained.
She eventually transferred to the University of Florida, where she captured multiple singles and doubles titles while reaching a career-high ITA singles ranking of No. 84 in 2021.
Tennis roots and a shift to Wall Street
Tennis is an integral part of the Shelton household. Their father, Bryan Shelton, competed on the professional tour before coaching the Florida Gators men’s team, while their mother, Lisa Witsken Shelton, was also a competitive player.
Speaking to The Gainesville Sun in 2019, Emma spoke about her father’s dedication to developing their games: “My dad takes a lot of time out of his day to train me and my brother (Ben) before he gets to work with all the guys on his team at 7 in the morning.”
Despite her success on court, Emma chose a different professional direction. After graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in May 2023, she joined Morgan Stanley in January 2024 as a senior client and workplace engagement associate, later earning a promotion to alternative investments specialist in July 2026.
Public appeals to Morgan Stanley
Emma’s professional role became a running joke during Ben’s Grand Slam campaigns. At Wimbledon in 2025, she sat in his box alongside parents Bryan and Lisa, as well as Ben’s girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman. With Emma needing to head back to the office, Ben made an on-court plea to her employer.
“Sheβs been the lucky charm, but she has work back in the US. She works for Morgan Stanley. So if any of yβall can get her a couple of days off so we can keep this rolling, thatβd be great,” Ben told the crowd, prompting the firm to approve the leave.
The dynamic resurfaced at the 2026 U.S. Open after Ben upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling quarterfinal, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7). With the late-night contest keeping Emma up past 3 a.m. ahead of a workday, Shelton once again took to the microphone to ask her managers for a bit of grace.
ATP U.S. Open - Ben Shelton's projected path
Shelton at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2026
Ranked no.9, Ben has managed to achieve a compiled 39-13 match record in 2026. Shelton is playing at the moment at the U.S. Open where he managed to beat the world no.56 Tallon Griekspoor 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 6-2, the world no.47 Hubert Hurkacz 6-3 5-7 7-6(3) 7-5, the world no.48 Denis Shapovalov 7-6(3) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4, the world no.53 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2 6-3 6-4, the world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6(7) and the world no.12 Frances Tiafoe 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5.
Ben Shelton will compete against the world no.2 Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday at 2:00 pm on Arthur Ahse Stadium. Their actual head to head record is 5-0 for Zverev.
Ben has won 4 titles in 2026 in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and Montreal.
Ben won 7 titles in his career: 3 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
