"Ben Shelton has game to be best since Andy Roddick" "He's Black, this is a big deal" - Fans delight as American replaces Taylor Fritz for No. 1 spot
Tennis fans were delighted after Ben Shelton replaced Taylor Fritz for the American No. 1 spot.
Since his debut on the ATP Tour, Shelton has delivered several impressive performances on the court. He secured his first tour-level title at the 2023 Japan Open by defeating Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 in the championship match.
The World No. 14 then went on to claim his second tour-level trophy at the 2024 US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, where he overcame defending champion Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Ben Shelton also gave impressive performances at the Grand Slams, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2023 Australian Open and semifinals at the US Open the same year.
With a consistent string of impressive performances, Ben Shelton climbed to his career-best ATP world ranking of No.14, earning the title of the new American No. 1. With this achievement, he became the youngest American No. 1 since Andy Roddick in March 2004.
Shelton, 21, also joined an elite group of American tennis greats, including Andre Agassi, Roddick, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, and Pete Sampras, who had also achieved this honor before turning 22.
Tennis fans were delighted to see Shelton's rise to the top spot. They took to social media to express their joy and excitement. One fan praised Shelton's talent and potential and expressed that they hoped to see him achieve even greater success in the future.
"Not bad for a 21 year old! Ben Shelton has the game to be America’s best since Roddick happy for him and hope he continues to 📈 BenShelton #atptour." a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Some fans highlighted the significance of having a black male player as the American No. 1, recognizing the diversity and representation in the sport.
"And he’s BLACK. this is a big deal in the sport. Grand Slam up next!!" the fan posted.
"Earnestly speaking when was the last time the US had a black man as the US number 1. I can’t remember. Did Tiafoe ever pass Fritz? If he did they didn’t mention it. But this is huge for Ben Shelton and for US tennis. In under 2 years too!" a fan posted.
One fan said that it was good to see an American player having the potential to win a Grand Slam.
"Having an American player with at least a chance of winning a Slam hasn’t been a reality in 15 years. Stay the course, @BenShelton. 🇺🇸 ," the fan posted.
Others admired Shelton's rapid ascent to American No.1 so quickly after his debut on the ATP Tour.
"Not even two years on tour," a fan posted.
"Wow! I believe this is only his second full year on tour too," the fan wrote.
Another fan expressed their delight to see Shelton taking the American No.1 position from Taylor Fritz.
"It’s about time [Taylor] Fritz doesn’t hold that title anymore.. massively overrated," a fan posted.
Ben Shelton on becoming American No.1: "Feels like it just came out of nowhere, I'm proud of myself"
Reacting to achieving the title of American No.1, Ben Shelton stated that he was surprised at reaching this milestone after only two years on the ATP Tour. Despite this, Shelton stated that he was proud of his accomplishments and acknowledged that there is still room for growth and improvement.
"It kind of feels like it just came out of nowhere. The next thing I knew I was being told I was going to be the next No. 1 American," Shelton told USTA.com. "Just knowing where I was two years ago to now, it's pretty wild to think of that journey. I'm proud of myself, but know I've got lots more to work on and improve."
Shelton also emphasized that he did not focus too heavily on ranking points, as he believes it could be distracting.
"I don’t pay too much attention to points because I don’t want to get caught up on worrying about or chasing them. I think it can be a distraction from everything else I have to work on," he added.