He respects my mindset and my independence," Shelton reveals the keys to his relationship with his father
At 22 years old, Ben Shelton won his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto overnight from Thursday to Friday.
The American, who has been on a steady rise since his breakthrough at the 2023 US Open (where he reached the semifinals), has officially joined the elite. This progress and success are largely due to his father Bryan, a former professional player who has coached him since childhood.
In an interview with the ATP, the world No. 7 spoke about his relationship with his father and their mutual respect:
"He tells it like it is—he’s honest. I take it well because I respect the career he had as a player. I respect him as a coach, and I respect him as a father.
He respects me in the same way. I know he has a deep understanding of tennis, but he respects my mindset and my independence. He lets me play my game in the big moments.
He does a great job of injecting small elements that help me throughout the match. I think respect plays a huge role in that. Beyond that, it’s the type of coaching, the coach-player relationship we have, that works really well.
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