The rise of 21-year-old American tennis sensation, Ben Shelton, has been nothing short of impeccable. He has looked promising ever since he stepped onto the court this year. Earlier this season, he made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Subsequently, he had a fairly consistent run across the tournaments before making it to the last four of the US Open. As Shelton’s stocks continue to rise, the American star has made a shocking statement.

Shelton is in China where he’s participating at the Shanghai Masters. After his win over Jannik Sinner in the pre-quarterfinals, the 21-year-old surprised everyone with his words.

What did Ben Shelton say?

During the post-match press conference after his round-of-16 win over Sinner, Shelton made a candid confession. The interviewer asked him about the most important lesson learned this year.

Replying to this question, he went on to say, “I think that staying true to myself and treating people the right way day-in and day-out, no matter how I’m feeling, losing a match, winning a match, I think that’s probably one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned.”

Further, he added, “I guess the other biggest lesson I’ve learned is just, you know, people are always watching the things that you do and say. Being a college kid a year and a half ago, that wasn’t something that I expected or to be in that situation now. It’s something that, you know, happened quite quickly and was kind of a shock to me.”

Shelton’s phone celebration continues to take heat. Even during his match against Sinner, the American star was subject to some unwanted criticism.

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Shelton gets criticized by fans

Following his big win over Sinner, the 21-year-old dished out his usual telephone celebration, making those actions. However, his actions were much to the fans’ disliking. While one fan was annoyed as hell, another fan was ‘p**sed off.’ As soon as Shelton’s controversial video was out, it went viral on social media and drew sharp reactions from fans.

Meanwhile, Shelton will hope to continue to impress as he plays his Shanghai Masters quarterfinal match on Thursday. He’ll take on fellow American Sebastian Korda for a place in the tournament’s semifinal. Can Shelton clinch the Shanghai Masters title? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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