"Never beating Donald Trump supporter allegations" "Why is Coco Gauff besties with him" - Fans blast Ben Shelton's 'tone deaf' post on US Election Day
Ben Shelton has come under fire from tennis fans for sharing a message regarding the 2024 US presidential election that many felt was ill-considered. The post led fans to believe that the 22-year-old was signaling his support for Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The highly anticipated presidential election between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Trump, held on Tuesday, November 5, has been a hot topic in the tennis world. The likes of Coco Gauff, Martina Navratilova, Andy Roddick, and Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian, among others, have endorsed Harris for president and urged their followers to cast their votes in the crucial election.
Ben Shelton, meanwhile, chose to share a religious message on Instagram on Election Day, which read:
"No matter who is president Jesus is king."
Fans interpreted the message as a hint of Shelton's support for Donald Trump, with some of them even questioning how Coco Gauff could be such close friends with her compatriot given their apparent political differences.
"He’s never beating the trump supporter allegations," one fan commented.
"So he's voting trump then," a fan wrote.
"No shade but how can Coco willingly be close friends with him when these are his politics," one fan argued.
"Why the hell is coco besties with him," said another.
The timing of the 22-year-old's message drew considerable criticism, as fans were appalled by his decision to share such a "tone-deaf" message on US Election Day.
"Ben Shelton….of all the things to post on your Instagram story… posting this today on Election Day was smart?" a user shared.
"Oh god. Not sure I can cheer for him after this. Tone deaf at best and also just stupid," another fan posted.
"Ben Shelton embarrasses his fans every other day why should Election Day be different?" one fan quipped.
Others, meanwhile, were unsurprised by Shelton's supposed Republican leanings, describing it as "on brand" for the World No. 21.
"And yall tried to guilt trip me for not supporting him man go to hell," one fan posted.
"I mean this is on brand," another fan wrote.
"He posed for photos with Vivek Ramaswamy. 🤦♂️," said yet another.
Ben Shelton previously faced backlash after meeting controversial Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy
Ben Shelton previously stirred disappointment among tennis fans over his political leanings after meeting controversial Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.
Sharing a picture of their time together on social media, Ramaswamy hailed Shelton as a future World No. 1 and expressed his pride in the 22-year-old's accomplishments.
"Mark my words: future world #1 right here. 21-year-old American @BenShelton is dominating in Cincinnati. His best days are still ahead. Very proud of him!" Ramaswamy posted on X.
Given that Ramaswamy is known for his controversial proposals like abolishing the FBI along with several other federal agencies and raising the voting age to 25, tennis fans were dismayed by Ben Shelton meeting him and even following him on X.
On the tennis front, Shelton was most recently in action at the 2024 Paris Masters, where he suffered a 6-3, 7-6(4) loss to Arthur Cazaux in the second round.