Dejected Coco Gauff Finds Morale Boost in Ben Shelton’s Grateful Message on God After Australian Open Success

It’s been a rollercoaster for American tennis here in Melbourne. Coco Gauff’s out, but thankfully we still have Ben Shelton flying the flag for the guys in the semis. And Madison Keys? She’s crushing it on the women’s side! Shelton posted an awesome ‘god’ related message on social media, and Gauff chimed in. You gotta love that kind of support.

Former US Open champion Gauff arrived for the Australian Open on the back of a title finish in the 2024’s China Open and the year-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh. Though she managed to topple formidable challenges on her way to the quarterfinals, Spaniard Paula Badosa cut her run short after delivering a straight-set victory against her. Following Badosa’s revenge act at the Rod Laver Arena, Gauff expressed feeling ‘unfazed’ by the loss and believed that she needed to keep working on her craft during her post-match presser.

“I’m not crushed, but obviously it does feel bad when you feel like you’re playing great tennis for the better start of this year to lose, but it is what it is. We’ll get back to work,” said Gauff. Meanwhile, her countryman Shelton hasn’t taken his foot off the gas in Melbourne. The 2022 NCAA champion made way for a spot in the last four after outplaying Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-4) on Wednesday. Having reached his maiden semifinal(second since 2023 US Open) of the ‘Happy Slam’, Shelton later made a post on Instagram. 

The American sensation uploaded a string of photos showcasing his recent on-court adventures at Melbourne Park but, that wasn’t the highlight that took Gauff’s attention. Notably, Shelton captioned the post saying, “Put in work, let God do the rest”, and the heartfelt one-liner prompted his countrywoman to comment under his post as she agreed with what he said. “Facts,” wrote Gauff. For those unaware, Shelton did not join Team USA for their annual United Cup outing to focus more on his solo ATP career ahead of the Melbourne Major. 

However, Shelton wasn’t all smiles after outclassing his quarterfinal rival in Melbourne. The 22-year-old voiced how the recent disrespectful comments made by the commentators didn’t fly right by him. 

Ben Shelton criticises ‘negative’ on-court interviews following Novak Djokovic’s controversy 

American star Ben Shelton did not take kindly to the recent string of ‘negative’ and ‘belittling’ comments made by commentators during players’ on-court interviews at the Australian Open. After concluding Sonego’s campaign in the QF, an interviewer suggested that no one would cheer for the World No. 20 in the next match. His SF rival Jannik Sinner hadn’t confirmed his spot for the SF contest at that point. 

“There are some comments that have been made to me in post-match interviews by a couple of different guys. Today on the court, ‘hey, Ben, how does it feel that no matter who you play in your next match, no-one is going to be cheering for you?’. I mean, [it] may be true, but I just don’t think the comment is respectful from a guy I’ve never met before in my life. I feel like there’s just been a lot of negativity. I think that’s something that needs to change,” spoke Shelton. 

For the uninitiated, Shelton’s comments came merely days after Serbian Novak Djokovic boycotted his R4 on-court interview with Jim Courier after Channel Nine’s commentator Tony Jones labelled the 24-time Slam winner as “overrated” and a “has-been” during a live cross with Djokovic’s fans in the background.

Moreover, Shelton’s admission also referred to American Learner Tien, whose ‘embarrassing’ second round on-court interview shocked the tennis world after an interviewer told him that “19-year-olds aren’t meant to be that good.”

However, for now, Shelton will remain focused on his upcoming semifinal contest at the Rod Laver Arena. He will lock horns with Italian Sinner for a place in the event’s summit clash on Friday, January 24.