Ben Shelton Gets Massive Boost as American Davis Cup Captain Reveals Exciting Update

It wasn’t the end that Ben Shelton would’ve liked. Dubbed a hot favorite among the American stars to dig deep at the US Open, Shelton lost out to Adrian Mannarino after bowing out with an injury. The scores were tied at two sets apiece when the American sensation found the going tough due to a shoulder injury. In what was a heartbreaking scene on Louis Armstrong Stadium, the sixth seed, Shelton, walked out in tears. But amid his injury concerns, American Davis Cup coach Bob Bryan had some positive news on Shelton.

Recently, the American team for the second qualifying round of the Davis Cup was announced. Top players like Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul have committed to playing the home tie against the Czech Republic at Delray Beach. Apart from the trio, Ben Shelton has also made himself available for the event, confirmed the team’s captain, Bob Bryan.

During an interview with Tennis Channel, he said, “Yeah, these guys can play. Um, two guys are still left in the tournament. Fritz plays Machac tonight. But you know, we are stoked to have a home tie. It’s been almost four years. Davis Cup’s been around for 120-plus years. It’s pretty rare um to be able to have a match here on home soil. You know, I think the fans are really going to eat it up. We got all our best American players that have committed, and that’s been just great for me to have the support of so so many great players.”

The tie against the Czech Republic is scheduled immediately after the US Open on September 12. It is a two-day, best-of-five matches tie, with the winner progressing to the Davis Cup Final later this year in Italy. Thus, Shelton’s availability will be a huge boost to American chances, who are one of the most successful nations in the tournament’s history.

Meanwhile, this would also be a major relief for a recovering Shelton. During an interview, he opened up about his injury setback at the US Open.

Ben Shelton suffered the “worst” pain of his life

In the middle of the match, the American sensation felt pain in his shoulder and found it difficult to serve and play shots. Although he tried to continue playing, Shelton eventually decided to call it quits after the pain was difficult to bear. He even claimed to his team that it was the worst pain that he had suffered in his life. Subsequently, after the match, Shelton revealed how bad the injury was.

He said, “Usually, I’ll play through anything and just find a way. And whether it’s sickness or injury, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I’ve never felt anything like this before, so that was kind of tough, I guess the uncertainty. I was just trying to adjust and figure out whatever I can to keep competing. Even though I was in pain, I was just in that competitive mindset of trying to find a way and push through it, so it was not really a thought in my mind.”

Meanwhile, Shelton’s Davis Cup comeback would be music to the ears of his fans, who were fearing that the American sensation could be sidelined for a lengthy period. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs after a disappointing end to his US Open campaign.