Kim Clijsters makes Ben Shelton Grand Slam prediction after US Open final run
Kim Clijsters believes that Ben Shelton is becoming a more mature and assured player on the court following his US Open final run.
The big-serving American took another big step forward in his career after making the final at Flushing Meadows, only to lose to Alexander Zverev in four sets.
Despite that setback, the 23-year-old beat seven-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in the quarter-finals on his way to the showpiece event, as he backed up his Canadian Open title defence last month.
There are still parts of the left-hander’s game that need ironing out, including his backhand, his return, shot selection, and more. But former world No 1 Clijsters sees a very bright future for Shelton.
Moreover, the Belgian thinks the world No 4 can win a major in the not-so-distant future.
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She said on Love All, “Ben did incredibly well. He played some really, really good tennis. Great for his confidence to take this with you to the next Grand Slam.
“This is why you build and play these matches and why he becomes a bit more patient as well. He’s grown and matured as a tennis player in front of our eyes. Not so much with his tennis. He’s always had very explosive shots, and he’s a great server and can move well.
“But I feel his maturity on court, how he keeps the adrenaline under control and uses it at the right times – which was nice to see. A great experience and one that he will take with him to try and achieve winning a Grand Slam.”
When asked if Shelton can win a major, four-time Grand Slam winner Clijsters said she thinks he will one day.
In the here and now, Shelton is up to third in the ATP Tour Race, with only Zverev and Jannik Sinner ahead of him. Alcaraz sits in fourth but has already qualified for the ATP Tour Finals after winning the Australian Open.
Shelton will hope to become the fourth man to qualify for the prestigious year-ending tournament, which will be held in Turin once again.
In other news, Shelton has withdrawn from the upcoming Laver Cup event in London, with Brandon Nakashima replacing him.
