"Really grabbed me" - Ben Shelton revisits Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic's iconic Wimbledon 2019 final as his first SW19 memory
Ben Shelton revisited the iconic 2019 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. According to Shelton, it is the first-ever memory he has of watching the prestigious Grasscourt Major.
The 2019 final between Federer and Djokovic is widely regarded as one of the greatest title clashes in tennis history. The marathon contest lasted four hours and 55 minutes, and it was decided in the end by a wayward Federer forehand that the usually-pinpoint-accurate Swiss skied. Djokovic won the match 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3) after saving two Championship points to clinch his fifth Wimbledon title.
Shelton, one of the most promising talents in American men's tennis right now, recently sat down for an interview with ATPTour.com. The 21-year-old was asked about his first memory of watching Wimbledon ahead of the 2024 edition of the Grasscourt Major, where the Gainesville, Florida resident is seeded No. 14 in the men's singles draw.
In his response, Shelton named Djokovic and Federer's titanic 2019 title tussle. The 21-year-old said that by the time the match took place, he had matured enough to have the attention span to watch a five-set tennis match.
"The memory that's clearest to me is probably the 2019 final between Novak and Roger. It was probably the first time I had the attention span to watch a five-set match," Shelton told ATPTour.com.
The World No. 14 went on to look back on his youth in brief. According to Shelton, he did not have the right temperament to process "some tennis matches" when he was younger. However, he admitted that Djokovic and Federer's 2019 Wimbledon final "grabbed him."
"I’d say when I was younger, I probably wasn't as interested in watching tennis or watching some tennis matches. But that final really grabbed me," Shelton added.
"Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have set a good example for Ben Shelton to follow" - Shelton's father Bryan
The peak of Shelton's debut season on the ATP Tour in 2023 came at the US Open, where he reached the semifinal before losing to eventual champion Djokovic. Prior to his semifinal clash against the Serb, Shelton's father Bryan spoke highly of the example set by the likes of Federer, Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal over the past two decades.
"I think he's got amazing examples over this last 20-year stretch with Roger and Rafa and Novak, of guys that continually look to get better. I mean, so if those guys can look to get better every single day and they're the standard of excellence at the very top of the game for a long period of time, like you're talking about, that's a good example for him to follow," Bryan told ATPTour.com.
Shelton is set to kickstart his 2024 Wimbledon campaign against Mattia Bellucci on Monday, July 1.