“Ben Shelton is poised to be the next big thing in American men’s tennis”- said ESPN back in 2022. Fast forward to 2024, he has gained a good mile in the circuit with his tennis prowess. Everyone thought that World No.14 would represent his nation at the quadrennial event in Paris, as it’s a dream for most of the athletes to stand at the top of the podium. Novak Djokovic had to wait for 16 years for it to happen. However, Shelton already had some plans for the remaining 2024 season that did not include the Olympics. But why does the regret plagues the mind of the 21-year-old?

It wasn’t a split-second decision that made Shelton skip the Games. But a thoughtful planning for the season from the beginning itself. At the Indian Wells, Shelton had said, “I’ve thought about it a lot. At the moment, I can say that I’m quite inclined not to go this year, in case I qualify. I think they fit into the tennis schedule in a complicated way.” Rightly so, the Paris Olympics made it tough for the players due to successive transition back and forth between clay and grass, and finally to the hard court.

However, as the tennis swing transitioned to a hard court, Shelton regrets missing out on the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds: tennis and basketball. At Montreal, Shelton was questioned about his decision to skip the Olympics and train for the US Open. After his R1 victory over Alexander Bublik, Shelton opened up about his preparation and the Olympics in an interview with Tennis Channel. The 21-year-old was confident as he felt, “great physically” despite dealing “with the heat” in the US and enjoying pleasant weather at Montreal.

He said, “It was brutal last week in DC, it was brutal in Atlanta, and since it’s the US Open, it’s gonna be pretty hot there.” But his next words were laced with regret. “I’m sad that I missed out on the Olympics,”-he remarked. Why? “It looked like a pretty sick time. You know USA tennis is right there with USA Basketball. That was the moment I thought was really cool for those guys and girls.”-he added. It seems he missed the opportunity to enjoy his favorite sports together.

However, he need not worry, as the next Olympics will be at home in Los Angeles in 2028. Despite the sadness, Shelton was happy with his decision. As he got ready for his favorite tournament of the season, including the US Open. The American tennis star would like to bury the ghost of the past and have a shot at the finals on the home ground.

Shelton is all geared up to tackle the US Open challenge

Tennis industry insider and journalist, Stephanie Livaudais had made a promising prediction about the 21-year-old: “Combined with his aggressive game’s natural advantages—especially that booming lefty serve.—I wouldn’t be surprised to see him settle into the ATP’s Top 10 or reach another Grand Slam semifinal in 2024.” It seems that Shelton wants to ensure that he has a shot at least one Grand Slam this year.

Given that the US Open is his favorite, the 21-year-old didn’t want to take any risk. Other than practicing and improving to tackle the challenge from everyone and anyone stepping on the hard court. Moreover, at just 20 years old, he made it to the semifinals of the US Open 2023. And this time he certainly wants to make a difference, move a step forward, and play the finals.

Though the 2024 season has been generous to the American tennis star, but the big wins have evaded him until now. Shelton has yet to defeat a top-10 player, and if he wants his season to end on a high note. Shelton has to produce the tennis which could bury the ghost of the past and take over the top players.