Ben Shelton adds new chapter to his friendship with Carlos Alcaraz with 'favourite player' label ahead of MSG showdown
Ben Shelton recently praised Carlos Alcaraz, as his "favorite player to share the court with." The youngsters will lock horns on Wednesday (Dec. 4) at the Garden Cup exhibition event, taking place at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Shelton and Alcaraz are having a great time in the American city ahead of their exhibition match. The duo was recently seen at Madison Square Garden, attending an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic.
With only a few hours remaining before their clash, Shelton praised the Murcian. The 22-year-old remarked that he and the crowd relish having Alcaraz on the other side of the court. He told EFE (translated from Spanish):
"Favorite player to share the court with because of how creative he is and the style he plays. Every time we play, you hear the crowd go crazy on both sides (…). It’s one of the games I enjoy the most."
Shelton has faced the World No. 3 twice on tour—at the 2023 Canada Open and the 2024 Laver Cup—but came up short in both encounters.
This will mark their third overall meeting and will take place in the first edition of the Garden Cup since 2018. Alongside the men, Jessica Pegula is set to face her compatriot Emma Navarro.
When Ben Shelton called Carlos Alcaraz the "Thanos" of Team Europe
Team Europe defeated Team World to win this year's Laver Cup which was their fifth title overall. Alcaraz played a crucial role in the event and defeated Shelton once in a singles match and again while teaming up with Casper Ruud in the doubles against Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.
Following the event, Shelton shared a few pictures from the Laver Cup on Instagram.
Battled for Johnny Mac one last time @lavercup Gutted we couldn’t get it done, but helluva weekend with the boys ❤️," he captioned.
A fan in the comments called team Europe Avengers, to which Shelton responded:
"Team Europe had the avengers and Thanos this year."
Alcaraz enjoyed a remarkable 2024 season, capturing two Major titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, with triumphs at the Indian Wells and China Open events. The Spaniard also claimed a silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
The 21-year-old last appeared at the Davis Cup Finals, representing Team Spain. While Alcaraz secured a singles victory against the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor, Spain ultimately fell short and was eliminated from the tournament.