Ben Shelton recently complimented Rafael Nadal in an interview, displaying his charisma for his favorite player, Roger Federer.
Ben Shelton, who greatly admires the Swiss Maestro, got the unique chance to meet him in his royal court. At Wimbledon, the young American met Federer and joked around with his idol. When Federer joined the conversation while he was talking about Rafa, it only increased his affection for his favorite.
Ben Shelton’s profile has been growing ever since he advanced to the US Open semifinals and won the Japan Open. He just gave an interview in which he discussed his most recent achievements. He also discussed the tennis players that inspire him. Shelton claimed to watch and study Rafael Nadal, but he was unable to do so without mentioning how much he adores Roger Federer.
Shelton stated his remarks about Rafael Nadal and said: “The guy that I looked up to was Rafael Nadal. 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 added: “I observed and studied Nadal, trying to steal some secrets, but my favorite has always been Federer.”
Ben Shelton says he learned how to fight from watching Rafa Nadal:
“The guy that I looked up to was Rafael Nadal. 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… pic.twitter.com/DnpmIM4JCC
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 25, 2023
Ben Shelton says his favorite player is Roger Federer:
“I studied Nadal and tried to steal some secrets from him. But my favorite has always been Roger.”
On Djokovic:
“In three years he will still be top 5 winning tournaments.”
(via Gazzetta dello Sport) pic.twitter.com/d3y54bOZMj
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 26, 2023
Ben Shelton in 2023
Now ranked no.15 (career-high), Ben played his last match on the 25th of October when he surrendered to world no.4 Jannik Sinner 7-6(2) 7-5 in the 1st round in Vienna (draw).
Currently, during this year Shelton has achieved a compiled 28-25 win-loss record. This year, the American conquered 1 tournament in Tokyo.
Shelton is scheduled to compete next in Paris (Rolex Paris Masters). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 30th of October.
Rafael Nadal in 2023
Ranked no.242, Nadal played his last match on the 18th of January when he was overcome by world no.42 Mackenzie Mcdonald 6-4 6-4 7-5 in the 2nd round of the Australian Open (draw).
During this season Nadal achieved a composed 1-3 win-loss record.
Ben Shelton and Rafael Nadal have never faced off.
