"Dominic Thiem was one of the guys killing it on TV" - Ben Shelton revists fond memories of Austrian ahead of 'special' US Open 2024 1R battle
Ben Shelton and Dominic Thiem will lock horns in a blockbuster first-round encounter at the US Open, marking the second straight year the two will play each other in New York. Thiem, a former champion in New York, has already announced his intention to retire at the end of the year and is thus playing his farewell season.
Addressing the hype around the match in his pre-tournament press conference, Shelton said he was looking forward to the contest as he loves playing in these types of scenarios.
The American was quick to acknowledge the significance of the match for his opponent and even recalled watching Thiem on TV while he was starting out, saying he was “killing it” back then.
"Yeah, I think it definitely has some hype for a first-round match," Ben Shelton said. "I love playing in those big type-of-moment matches."
"I hate to see it's Domi's last Grand Slam, because when I was starting to get into tennis, that was one of the guys who was killing it on TV every single week," he added.
Shelton also took note of Thiem’s pedigree as a former US Open champion, saying he is expecting a tough challenge as his opponent is someone who knows what it takes to get their hands on the trophy.
"Any time you play a former champion at a tournament, especially a Grand Slam, it's a special experience and a tough challenge," the American said.
Notably, Thiem lifted his first and, till date, only Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open, beating Alexander Zverev in a five-set epic 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6(6) in the final.
"Fans will love this type of match-up" - Ben Shelton ahead of US Open encounter against Dominic Thiem
Ben Shelton continued to heap praise on his opponent, saying Dominic Thiem is among the few players who can call themselves a Grand Slam champion.
The American noted that playing against someone like Thiem was a great opportunity and will also provide fans a match-up that they can look forward to early in the tournament.
"[Dominic Thiem] held the trophy here at the end of the two weeks, which, you know, not many people in the world can say that they have done," Ben Shelton said.
"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity and yeah, just excited to kick it off. I think the fans will love this type of match-up, and I'm just going to soak it all in," he added.
Thiem and Shelton have split their past two meetings, with the winning former in Estoril in 2023 and handing his younger opponent a walkover after sustaining an injury during their US Open match last year.