Ben Shelton was dealt a difficult blow to deal with at the US Open last month.
Shelton was a dark horse at the US Open this year after winning the biggest title of his career at the Canadian Open and rising to a career-high ranking of world number six.
However, things did not turn out how he would have wanted them to, with Shelton retiring against Adrian Mannarino due to a shoulder injury he suffered during the third round match.
After suffering this injury, Shelton withdrew from USA’s Davis Cup squad, but he has still been praised by his national captain for something that he has done.
Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images for ITFBob Bryan praises Ben Shelton for attending USA’s Davis Cup tie despite withdrawal
Shelton was subsequently replaced by the big serving Reilly Opelka for USA’s Davis Cup tie against Czechia in Delray Beach, Florida.
With Shelton now residing in Florida, where he played college tennis, the 22-year-old still showed up to support his compatriots.
This support was not enough to help USA beat Czechia, after they lost the tie 3-2 to exit the Davis Cup, but team captain and 23-time Grand Slam doubles champion Bob Bryan was full of praise for both Shelton and Tommy Paul who supported, despite nursing injuries.
“Yeah, we do have great chemistry,” Bryan said in his press conference. “Ben Shelton, driving down from Orlando, he didn’t know if it was going to rain or not, but he just came to support the team. You know, that gave everyone a boost.
“You know, and then Tommy Paul, fresh off a surgery, here in the crowd, supporting the guys. That just shows the guys, brotherhood we have working here.
“Look, we love Davis Cup weeks, our staff loves them, we had a lot of fun. Like I said, we’re not crying over this loss. We just tip our hat to a better team over the last two days.
“But, you know, there is stuff, we can make tweaks. We had a couple injuries right before the tie, but there is no excuses. We went out there, and everyone sweated their butt off. No one gave up. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
When is Ben Shelton next scheduled to compete on the ATP Tour?
Not only did Shelton pull out of the Davis Cup, but he also withdrew from Team World’s Laver Cup squad following his injury.
However, it is not long until Shelton is expected to return to the match court, as the ATP Tour now heads to Asia.
The next tournament on Shelton’s schedule is the Japan Open in Tokyo, where he won the title in 2023.
Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
Shelton was unable to defend his title last year after being beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Arthur Fils.
If he has recovered from the shoulder injury, Shelton will be looking to regain the ATP 500 title when the Japan Open begins on Monday, September 22, before playing the Shanghai Masters.