John McEnroe makes big Ben Shelton rankings and Grand Slam prediction – ‘Ben is going to make a breakthrough’
John McEnroe believes Ben Shelton has become a “more complete” player and is convinced he will be “up there” with the top players in the world in the coming years, adding that the 21-year-old is his pick to make the “breakthrough” and end American men’s wait for another Grand Slam title.
Following his incredible 2023 season that saw him start the year at No 96 and finish at No 17, Shelton has continued to progress this campaign.
Last year he reached the US Open semi-finals and won his maiden title at the Japan Open while this year he won his second ATP Tour singles title, the US Men’s Clay Court Championships, and also reached a career-high No 13 in the ATP Rankings.
The 21-year-old already has three top-10 wins to his name, including one over Jannik Sinner at the Shanghai Masters in 2023, but he is yet to consistently perform against the best in the business.
Tennis legend McEnroe feels Shelton will eventually get to the top five in the rankings if he continues his current trajectory.
“I see Ben in the top five in the world if he keeps progressing. I think he’s got the ability. He wants it. He’s worked at it. He’s better than he was to me a year ago, more complete,” he said.
“But I think he’s going to be up there with those guys, and that would be great.”
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American men’s tennis appears to be on the rise again as there are currently five players in the top 20 with Taylor Fritz the No 1 as he sits at seventh in the world followed by Tommy Paul (13), Sebastian Korda (15), Frances Tiafoe (16) and Shelton (17).
Fritz is also the only one of the current crop to reach a Grand Slam final and he did it at the US Open earlier in September when he finished runner-up to Sinner.
But it does mean the wait for an American man to win another Grand Slam continues with Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open title the last time a man from the United States lifted a major trophy.
Tennis great McEnroe believes Shelton will be the one to “make a breakthrough”.
He added: “You know, I think American tennis is getting closer. You saw Taylor was in the final. Frances has been in a couple semis. Ben’s been in the semis.
“We’re going to make the breakthrough. Ben, I believe, is going to make a breakthrough in the next couple of years.”
