WATCH: Hilarious scenes as Ben Shelton gets Steffi Graf-esque marriage proposal from fan during Swiss Indoors 2024 1R clash
During his first-round match at the 2024 Swiss Indoors, Ben Shelton received a marriage proposal from a fan that was reminiscent of the famous proposal Steffi Graf received during her semifinals match at the 1996 Wimbledon Championships.
Shelton had competed in the Asian swing before entering the ATP 500 hard court tournament in Basel, Switzerland. He had a strong showing at the 2024 Japan Open, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Arthur Fils 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-7(2).
The former World No. 13 then competed at the Shanghai Masters, making it to the fourth round before being defeated by the eventual champion Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(1).
Ben Shelton is seeded sixth at the 2024 Swiss Indoors and kicked off his campaign with a solid victory over Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round, winning 6-3, 6-4. However, during the match, a fan in the stands shouted a marriage proposal to Shelton while Etcheverry was preparing to serve.
“Ben, will you marry me?” the fan asked.
Initially caught off guard by the proposal, Ben Shelton tried to play it off but couldn't help burst into laughter along with the other spectators in the stadium.
Watch the video here:
Ben Shelton will face Stan Wawrinka or Adrian Mannarino in Swiss Indoors 2024 2R
![Ben Shelton pictured at the 2024 Laver Cup [Image Source: Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/10/f95b2-17296163947202-1920.jpg?w=500)
Ben Shelton will go up against either wildcard Stan Wawrinka or Adrian Mannarino in the second round of the 2024 Swiss Indoors.
Wawrinka is coming into the ATP 500 hard court tournament in Basel on the back of a semifinal run at the 2024 Stockholm Open. He defeated the likes of Brandon Nakashima, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Tommy Paul 3-6, 2-6 in the final four.
Shelton and Wawrinka have never crossed paths on the ATP tour, making their potential second-round clash at the Swiss Indoors their first time facing each other.
On the other hand, Adrian Mannarino will be entering the Swiss Indoors after competing in the Asian swing. He reached the quarterfinals at the 2024 Chengdu Open before losing to eventual runner-up Lorenzo Musetti and then competed in the China Open, Shanghai Masters, and Almaty Open without making deep runs.
Shelton and Mannarino have met twice before on the ATP tour, with the latter emerging victorious on both occasions. Their most recent encounter was in the third round of the 2024 Australian Open, where Mannarino secured a hard-fought victory in five sets, winning 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.