It all started with a simple text message that, if Bryan Shelton’s memory serves him, went something like this:“That coulda got really interesting,” wrote his then-20-year-old son, Ben, moments after he won a fifth-set tiebreaker against Zhizhen Zhang at last year’s Australian Open, clinching that first-round match.
Shelton did, however, recall the unreturnable serve he hit at 4-5, 30-40 down in the fifth set.
Shelton left last year’s Australian Open, his first trip abroad, as a quarterfinalist after succumbing to his friend and fellow American Tommy Paul.
By season’s end, Shelton had reached the semifinals at the United States Open alongside the world’s top three players — Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev — and cracked the ATP’s top 15.
The young American had begun 2023, his first full year on tour, ranked barely inside the top 100.
Persons:
Bryan Shelton’s, coulda, ”, Ben, Zhizhen Zhang, Shelton, “, Tommy Paul, — Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev —
Organizations:
United States
Locations:
Brisbane, Australia, Florida