Ben Shelton: The young tennis star with the deadliest serve in the game!

With the most lethal serve in the game and the fearlessness of youth, American Ben Shelton is the hottest prospect in men's tennis today.

According to The Athletic, Shelton can hit a serve at 150MPH (241KPH) and rockets a forehand like few others have seen in professional tennis. 

In September 2023, the 21-year-old shocked the world by reaching the semi-final of the US Open, losing to tennis GOAT Novak Djokovic. Several weeks later, he won his first ATP event in Japan. 

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It's been over 20 years since Andy Roddick won the US Open, but Ben Shelton looks like he could be the next American to reign dominant when Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic hang up their rackets.

According to CNN, Shelton said: "I feel like I don't want to put a ceiling on myself and what I can achieve. I want to take things one step at a time and see where I am at the end of this year."

Since a breakout year in 2023, Shelton has had several good performances in 2024, winning ATP Houston in April, reaching the semifinals of ATP Dallas, and the quarterfinals of ATP Acapulco. 

The ATP website reports that Shelton is currently 14th in the world rankings, having won 16 of his 24 matches this season, making $627,042. 

Shelton hasn't had the usual journey into professional tennis, taking American football more seriously until the age of 12/13.

CNN reports Shelton's dad (now coach) and uncle were professional tennis players, while his mum had a successful junior career in the sport. It was only after seeing his sister travel across the country, he decided to take tennis more seriously. 

Tennis loves teenage champions, with Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Emma Raducanu winning in their formative years. However, Shelton decided to stay closer to home and play tennis at the University of Florida. 

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Though it may not have been a Grand Slam title, Shelton won the ultimate prize at college, securing the 2022 NCAA Singles title. 

The ATP website reports that the organization has 60 tournaments across 30 different countries, meaning even the youngest players on tour can be worn down by their busy schedules.

Speaking at the Australian Open, Shelton said: "Tennis can be a grueling sport with the schedule and amount of travel, so I'm glad that I got a little bit of a later start. I don't feel like I have too many miles on my body yet."

"There's not one path for everybody, and I don't think that my path is perfect, but it worked for me. I feel fairly fresh. I haven't been out here that long. I don't feel burned out at all."

Shelton still has the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open to look forward to this year, having made it to the round of 32 in the 2024 Australian Open. 

The French Open begins on the 20th of May in Paris. Can Shelton cause another storm at a Grand Slam and potentially win his first major?

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