Ben Shelton has progressed to the third round of Indian Wells following his hard-earned victory over young Czech Jakub Mensik. The 21-year-old, who often makes headlines for his on-court antics, is one of the brightest American prospects on the ATP tour. But once upon a time, tennis was not his first dream.

Like a lot of pro tennis players, even Ben Shelton’s success can be partially credited to his family, with his father and long-time coach Bryan Shelton being one of the key members. He recently revealed how a young Ben was more into football than the racket sport.

Ben Shelton ‘Got Hooked on American Football‘

In sports, family exerts a profound influence on shaping the career of athletes, a fact particularly evident in the trajectory of Ben Shelton. The youngster is notably charting his course following in his father’s professional footsteps — yet Bryan Shelton acknowledges that his son possesses a unique drive. Interestingly, Shelton, who began regular tennis practice at 11 after abandoning his early quarterback aspirations, initially showed no inclination toward the family sport.

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“He was the one who declared that tennis wasn’t his calling when he was younger,” Bryan shared, emphasizing that Ben embraced tennis independently, devoid of any familial influence or coercion.

Ben also echoed his father’s observations and talked about his love for football during one of the post-match interviews at the US Open. “I played pretty much every sport growing up and I really got hooked on American Football,” said Shelton. “I switched to tennis a little bit later than most people but I fell in love with the game and began to train every day.”

 Read More: ‘He Has a Lot of Personalities’ – Ben Shelton’s Father Sheds Light on the ‘Fierce Competitor’ Inside Him as He Focuses on His Major ‘Strengths’

The importance of Shelton’s father Bryan, in his career cannot be understated. Bryan is also very protective of Shelton and it was evident when he didn’t even spare Novak Djokovic while defending his son.

Ben Shelton’s Father Couldn’t Let Go of Novak Djokovic’s Insult

Shelton and Djokovic met at the semifinals of the 2023 US Open where Djokovic secured a win over the American. Following the decisive point, Djokovic imitated the action of slamming down a phone — a celebratory gesture reminiscent of Shelton’s display in the preceding round, where he caused an upset by defeating Frances Tiafoe.

While Shelton didn’t seem to mind it and even Djokovic played it down, Shelton’s father Bryan wasn’t one to take it. While talking to GQ he expressed his anger, “He wants to be loved so much, Novak …” He continues, “He wanted to mock Ben at the end. It wasn’t something he was doing just to copy Ben. It was to mock him. And that’s too bad, for that to come from such a great champion.”

All said and done the brigade of tennis parents have given much to the game and their legacy can’t be undone. Bryan, as he should be, is a proud parent of one of the top names of pro tennis today.