"I think it's a little bit more lonely than being in college" - Ben Shelton on his first full year on the ATP Tour
American Ben Shelton advanced to the 2023 US Open's third round after Dominic Thiem was forced to retire during their 2R match on Wednesday afternoon at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
Shelton was leading 7-6 (1), 1-0 when Thiem was forced to leave the match due to a stomach-related issue. He had been vomiting before the match and showed signs of discomfort during it as well.
Shelton defeated Argentine Pedro Cachin 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the previous round. Thiem, on the other hand, defeated Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the first round at Flushing Meadows, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Ben Shelton, who left college tennis last year to pursue a professional career, was asked about his first full year on the ATP Tour and the differences between college and professional tennis during his press conference.
He mentioned it felt somewhat lonelier compared to his college days because he now has more solitude, given that he doesn't travel with a big team of friends anymore.
"Yeah, I think it's a little bit more lonely than being in college. You travel with a big team, all your friends. Always staying in a hotel room with somebody else. There's not much downtime or alone time," Shelton said.
"Being out on tour, you have a lot more time to yourself alone in your hotel room, more time to think about things. That can be a positive or a negative (smiling). But I'd say that's one of the biggest differences for me," he added.
According to Ben Shelton, another notable difference is the relentless schedule of the ATP Tour, which continues in motion until December, unlike in college where there were more breaks.
"The other difference is that there's not many breaks in the schedule. It seems like the tour is always going till December. It's just go, go, go, go," Shelton said.
"I would say I assumed, before I was out here on tour, that there were more down weeks or weeks when there weren't tournaments, but it seems there's always something going on," he added.
Ben Shelton will square off against Aslan Karatsev in the third round
Ben Shelton will take on Russian Aslan Karatsev in the third round at the 2023 US Open. Karatsev is coming off a win over Roberto Carballes Baena in the previous round. The match will take place on Friday (September 1).
The upcoming match between these two players marks their inaugural meeting on the ATP Tour. As a result, their head-to-head record currently stands at an even 0-0.