AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2023

Ben Shelton

Press Conference

B. SHELTON/A. Popyrin

6-3, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Ben, congrats. Just your second main draw of a Grand Slam, and you are through to the round of 16. How does it feel?

BEN SHELTON: It feels great. I said on the court that it's a pinch-me moment. Unreal experience out there on the court today with that Aussie crowd. It was a lot of fun to be out there, and I'm happy to be moving on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Have you stopped smiling since the match?

BEN SHELTON: No, no (laughing). Maybe a little bit when my physio was working on me (laughing). But, no, definitely a big smile on my face. I called my parents, and they were pretty happy. So, yeah, just a lot of happiness around.

Q. What did your dad say?

BEN SHELTON: Well, first, he was definitely excited. It's, like, 5:40 there, and they have a match today, the team it does. So I think I messed up his sleep schedule a little bit (smiling).

He still has his analytical mind going and talked to me about the things that I did really well today and the few things that I could have done a bit better. So, yeah, he was happy overall.

Q. Ben, you spoke about leading up to the tournament how it took some time to sort of get your feet underneath you as you traveled all the way. At what point did something click and you realized, I have my stuff now?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, the first match that I played in Auckland, I felt really good, but it was an indoor match, so a little bit different.

I knew that the conditions were going to be different here in Melbourne. I knew I played a good match, but I still wasn't completely sure what my game was going to be like outdoors here.

This was the first match where I really felt like, Wow, I'm on, everything is clicking, and I feel good about my game. I'm moving really well.

I told myself that I wanted to give myself more of a green light today when I played, not be as hesitant in the middle of the points but really go for my shots a bit more and be okay with some errors and know that it was going to pay off in the long run.

I thought I stuck to that plan today and executed really well.

Q. You mentioned the crowd. Can you talk a little bit about what it's like to play in John Cain?

BEN SHELTON: They kind of set the tone when I walked out on the court, and I got booed (laughing). First time at a pro match that that's happened. I mean, it was unreal. I can always respect a whole country getting behind their guy, so it was really cool to see.

Similar to some away matches and college atmospheres that I have been at, but definitely amplified today. The sound in there kind of just vibrates.

So, yeah, it was a fun match to be a part of. There was definitely a few Aussie guys screaming for me in the crowd, and I don't think the rest of the Aussies in the crowd liked that too much (laughing).

Q. Just a follow-up, you seem to be enjoying it a little bit and at moments kind of putting your hand to your ear as if "I can't hear you" kind of thing. Is that part of playing in college and in front of crowds like that? Does that help you?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, kind of a similar type of atmosphere. Yeah, I think it helps me.

Honestly, when the whole crowd is for you, you feel this expectation that you have to deliver. When you miss a shot they're, like, Oh, and maybe you feel like you're letting them down a little bit.

I find it easy to play free when the crowd is coming at you and being aggressive. I enjoy that hostile atmosphere.

So it's always a little bit bitter sometimes when you are, like, oh, man, you win a point, and there's no one cheering for you, but it also motivates you a little bit. So I really liked it.

Q. Ben, at any point in the last week or so when you are in the stadiums looking around kind of going, look where I am, or are you really able to kind of just change the chip and be here playing in these matches in this environment?

BEN SHELTON: There were definitely a few times today. The matches I played before were on a little smaller courts and not as big of crowds, so I wasn't as wide-eyed.

But definitely a few moments today where I was looking around, like, Wow, this stadium is pretty packed. It was unbelievable, kind of hard to describe. I definitely wouldn't have thought that I would be here in this moment six months ago, four months ago.

So hopefully I can be on that court again or one of the other great stadiums they have here.

Q. Just one more if I can. Alexei in his press conference just said that you are a force to be reckoned with if you play like that and that you will be top 10 in six months. Is that a goal that you are allowing yourself to kind of, like, play out in your head? Or is it getting a bit too far ahead?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, no, I try to keep myself grounded and know that when there's highs, there's always lows. I'm not expecting a ton from myself. I want to do well, and I want to improve my game, but I'm trying not to put number limitations in my head because there's always something more that you can strive for.

So I'm just trying to be the best version of myself, and whatever that looks like at the end of this year, at the end of next year, if I know that I left it all on the table that year and I gave it everything I had and did everything that I could to get myself ready for tournaments, then I'll be happy with it.

That's a really nice comment from him, though.

Q. I just wanted to ask about what's your connection with J.J.? And you guys are carrying the banner for college tennis here in the fourth round of the Australian Open I guess a little bit, right?

BEN SHELTON: I kind of became friends with him maybe a year ago. I didn't know him that well before that. I mean, I had seen him play in college tennis, but he was older than me, so we never competed against each other.

We're good friends, like to joke around a lot, have a lot of locker room banter. So he is a good guy.

Definitely excited to be able to play him, and I think it's a match that the crowd will for sure enjoy.