'I play my best tennis at these big tournaments': Is Shelton primed to take down Sinner, Djokovic?

(Getty/William West)

There is an old saying commonly attributed to a Roman philosopher that says, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity".  The idea being that luck isn't random or the result of cosmic good fortune, but rather that luck is the result of being ready to seize an unexpected opening.  

For American Ben Shelton, this 2026 Australian Open might be his opportunity to make his first Grand Slam final.

Drawn in the bottom half of the men's singles draw with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time champion Novak Djokovic, you'd be forgiven for thinking Shelton's opportunity might come elsewhere, but the door is ajar. 

In his own words, the 8th-seeded Floridian, who is yet to drop a set through his first three rounds, believes his current form is almost the best tennis he's ever played, and yet he can "see improvements" from his form from the 2025 US summer. 

"I think that this is probably second, but to be in the form that I'm in as early as it is in the year is really encouraging," he declared after his 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 win over 30th seed Valentin Vacherot. 

"But I think that I'm serving much better now. I think that the way that I'm able to flatten out the forehand and change speeds on the backhand with the slice, topspin, and flat balls, I've seen improvements, for sure."

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The 2025 Australian Open semi-finalist will now face Norwegian Casper Ruud in the round of 16, himself a three-time Slam finalist. 

Yet, strangely, despite already having reached an Australian Open semi, and the looming presence of Djokovic and Sinner, Shelton might be better placed to make his first Slam final 12 months on.  

That might seem perplexing, but there is nuance to this discussion.

For one, Shelton's rise has not been linear; rather, the 194cm southpaw has improved exponentially year-on-year over the last decade.  

As a junior, Shelton played American football until he decided to prioritise tennis aged 12-years-old, with his father, former ATP player and then college coach, Bryan Shelton, tasked with coaching duties. Granted, 12 might seem young, but the vast majority of players who make it to the top 10 are deeply committed to the sport, at the expense of their schooling, years before that.   

As his junior years progressed, Shelton was strongly ranked domestically but struggled to climb the world junior rankings - although he never left the United States to pursue junior competition.   

In his freshman year in 2020-21 at the Florida Gators, a formidable college tennis program then coached by his father, Shelton, played No.5 singles with a record of 28-5.  

Yes, even then, he wasn't even the best player at his school.  

The following year, he was the No.1 player in college tennis. Two years after that, he's in the ATP top 20, and today, he's the top-ranked American with peers that include Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe, amongst others. 

Furthermore, Shelton saves his best tennis for the best-of-five format, and crucially, he genuinely believes the longer format advantages him over his opponents.   

"I think I play my best tennis at these big tournaments. I think that the format and then also the atmosphere factor into that," he told the press.

"For me, playing five sets, you have so much time. You can be free at times. You can swing free. It feels like you have an enormous amount of time to figure things out out there on the court. There's no rush. 

"So, me, personally, I like that feeling."

If Shelton can successfully navigate Casper Ruud, he will face the winner of Monday's all-Italian clash between Jannik Sinner and Luciano Darderi.  

Though Sinner has dominated their recent encounters, if there is ever a time you want to take on the world No.2, it's now.  

Shelton is the fittest he's been and is playing some of his best tennis, whereas Sinner will be, at the time of the quarter-final, only a few days past experiencing full-body cramps on Rod Laver Arena. 

"It's something that I'm used to," Shelton said when questioned about playing in the 40-degree heat. 

"But it's not comfortable for anybody. It's a very uncomfortable feeling playing out there in those temperatures.

"For me, I just trust myself, I trust my preparation.

"If we do play outside, yeah, I've got to deal with the heat for five sets, but I've played a lot more extended slam matches than a lot of guys on tour. I mean, I know that I'm still young, but I have a lot of experience at the Slams. That gives me confidence."

It is exactly that brash, American confidence that can carry Shelton to his second semi-final in as many years. And if he gets there, he may be rewarded with a date with Djokovic, at the former's house of pain on Rod Laver Arena. 

While that assignment was once the second-most daunting task in tennis, behind facing Rafael Nadal on clay (or more specifically at Roland-Garros), Djokovic knows that the longer the tournament progresses, the less reliable his 38-year-old body becomes. 

"Age-wise, look, I think that on a given day when I'm feeling good physically and mentally, you know, when I'm playing well, I can challenge anybody, and I still believe I can beat all of them," Djokovic announced in the aftermath of his straight-sets win over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.

"But I know as well that in case I get to face Sinner (or Shelton), that would be the semifinals. 

"The deeper in the tournament, obviously, the more energy I spend, and I don't know how my body is going to react. The last year, three out of four Slams, it wasn't great. I didn't feel great playing them in the later stages, but hopefully that can change."

Of course, there is plenty of water to go under the bridge, but the American lefty has never been better placed to create his own luck. 

The First Serve Live returns weekly each Monday Night on the SEN Radio Network & SEN App.

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