Ben Shelton is convinced that skipping the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in favour of the US Open was the right decision.
In what was the biggest match of Shelton’s career to date, he lost 3-6, 2-6, 6-7 to eventual champion Novak Djokovic after advancing to the semi-finals of the New York Slam a year earlier. Following his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships quarterfinals, Shelton shifted his focus to the hardcourt swing in North America.
Shelton expressed his disappointment at missing the Olympics, but he defended his decision to concentrate on his skills by citing the demanding schedule of the tennis season.
He talked about it in a recent interview and said: “It was a tough decision, but the way that our schedule is, I think it’s a good decision and a decision that I had to make. The schedule is so long, that there are no breaks. If I was to go back again to Europe, another surface change, I think with where I’m at right now, it just would have been too much.”
Shelton also discussed his performance in the four hard-court tournaments he participated in before the US Open. He acknowledged that it was difficult to decide not to compete in the Olympics, but in the end, he believed it was crucial.
He added: “I’m really happy with how these four tournaments have gone. I didn’t perform well in every single one. But by making the semifinals in Washington after losing the first round last year, and the quarterfinals in Cincinnati for the first time, I think that my prep for the US Open has gone how I’ve wanted it to go. So yeah, I’m overall happy with my decision. Not one that I wanted to have to make, but necessary.”
Ben Shelton in 2024
Currently ranked no.13 (career-high), Ben played his last match on the 17th of August when he lost to world no.4 Alexander Zverev 3-6 7-6(3) 7-5 in the quarter in Cincinnati (draw).
At the moment, during this season the American achieved a composed 30-19 match record. This year, Shelton clinched 1 title in Houston.
Ben Shelton will fight against the world no.209 Dominic Thiem in the 1st round on Monday at 12:00 pm on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The head to head is 1-1.
Shelton has won 1 title in 2024 in Houston.