Ben Shelton, the rising talent in American tennis, has acknowledged that he has picked up a few tips from Rafael Nadal however hasn’t tried to emulate the fellow left-hander.
Shelton is coming off a stellar 2023 campaign in which he unexpectedly advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. After a few lacklustre performances, the American found his game at the US Open. He was able to advance to his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal. However, he lost in straight sets to eventual winner Novak Djokovic.
Shelton maintained his impressive form throughout the Asian swing, finishing the year at No. 17. This happened after winning his maiden singles victory at the ATP 500 Tokyo Open. He was also able to make it into the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals. The American is prepared to keep making enormous progress in 2024 as well as afterwards.
The hard-hitting Shelton explained what he’s learned from Rafael Nadal’s game, stating that he wants to hone his skills while absorbing some elements of the Spaniard’s style. The American superstar spoke to onrunning.com as he said, “I try to be unique with my playing style and do things other players aren’t. I’ve taken a few things from Nadal because he’s left-handed, but I try to work with my assets and be unique.”
“The rate of progress was completely normal.” : Rafael Nadal’s Head coach
After suffering a hip injury at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal was sidelined for nearly the whole 2023 campaign. The renowned Spaniard, who has been out of action for over a whole year. But fortunately, is about to return to action in Australia for what is probably his last Tour season. Rafael Nadal’s trainer Carlos Moya provided the following explanation of his ward’s drawn-out recuperation, per ATPTour.com.
The Spanish coach added, “The start was very tough, of course. There were times when it looked difficult because he wasn’t getting better. We always had peace of mind because of the constant contact with the doctor, with tests, to reassure ourselves that the rate of progress was completely normal.”
