"I see all these comments, 'Oh, oh, why did you take him?'" - Ben Shelton on proving doubters wrong about Laver Cup selection with US Open run
Ben Shelton expressed satisfaction over successfully silencing his critics regarding his inclusion in the 2023 Laver Cup squad with his impressive run at the 2023 US Open.
Shelton's campaign at the New York Major came to an end in the semifinals after Novak Djokovic secured a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4) victory in two hours and 40 minutes. Over the course of his campaign at Flushing Meadows, the American became the youngest US Open men's semifinalist since Michael Chang in 1992. Furthermore, he climbed 28 spots in the ATP live rankings, reaching a career-high World No. 19.
Following his US Open exit, Shelton is set to compete at the 2023 Laver Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Vancouver from September 22 to 24. The 20-year-old will represent captain John McEnroe's Team World alongside fellow Americans Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul, as well as Argentine Francisco Cerundolo and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
When asked about his participation in the sixth edition of the Laver Cup during his post-match press conference, Ben Shelton mentioned that his selection had been met with significant pushback from fans on social media.
"Yeah, I'm really excited for the opportunity to play Laver Cup. You know, when the announcement first came out, I see all these comments on Instagram, Oh, oh, why did you take him? Why? Why this guy? There's so many higher-ranked guys," Ben Shelton said.
The American disclosed his determination to prove his skeptics wrong through his campaign at the US Open and expressed satisfaction over accomplishing that goal with his run to the semifinals.
"Coming into the US Open it was like, okay, I really have something to prove. I wanted to show people that maybe I deserved to be on the team or the people who said that I didn't, kind of prove them wrong. I had a pretty good run here, and I'm happy that hopefully I was able to prove a few people wrong," he added.
"I'm pretty pumped to be in the team atmosphere" - Ben Shelton on Laver Cup 2023
Looking ahead to the 2023 Laver Cup, Ben Shelton expressed his eagerness to compete in a team environment again, doing so for the first time since his departure from the University of Florida's men's tennis team, the Florida Gators, last year.
The American also highlighted his optimism and positive outlook regarding his debut at the event. Additionally, he anticipated experiencing the same level of emotion in Vancouver as he did during his US Open campaign.
"I mean, I'm pretty pumped to be in the team atmosphere. You know, I love those type of competitions. First, you know, team tournament that I'll be a part of since I left college. All positive thoughts going to Laver Cup. I'm going to be just as amped and emotional as I was here in Vancouver," he said.
Competing against Ben Shelton and the Team World contingent, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz and Gael Monfils are set to represent captain Bjorn Borg's Team Europe.