US OPEN

August 26, 2024

Ben Shelton

Press Conference

B. SHELTON/D. Thiem

6-4, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Straight sets. Your thoughts on your performance.

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I thought it was a good start, good performance from me today. There wasn't really a category that I was unhappy with. I thought I served extremely well today. Did a good job dictating play with my forehand, the best I hit my forehand for a while. I was 24 for 28 at the net.

Can't complain with how starts go at a Grand Slam.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you describe what your emotions and feelings were walking out on that court after everything that you did last year? Was it what you expected to feel or extra butterflies or no butterflies at all? Can you elaborate on all that.

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, not really butterflies. I haven't been really feeling butterflies lately when I walk on the court. I think after last year, the stage doesn't get much bigger than that.

I feel used to it now. I just felt comfortable. Used to it. Felt like I had been there before. Yeah, definitely excited. I think any chance that you get to play on Arthur Ashe is a moment that you remember forever.

Yeah, I added one to the books today, and yeah, just happy with how things went out there. Yeah, I enjoyed it.

Q. Wondered how special it was for you, and obviously you're close with Coco, to be 20, 21, the first two matches on the opening day on Arthur Ashe, just how special that is for you?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I think it's really, really cool. Obviously it wasn't just me. I was playing against a former champion who's ended up being his last match here at the Open.

But I think it's really special obviously for Coco, it is for Coco (smiling). Yeah, I'm not sure how she's doing right now, if she's winning or not, but hopefully she gets that one done.

I think it's cool to be in that situation, being on that court. For me, it's the coolest court in tennis. I haven't played Centre Court Wimbledon yet, but other than that, this one is on top.

Kind of a dream come true being in this situation again here this year, but I don't mind playing on any of the courts here at the US Open. You know, you start me on Court 10 or 12 or 16, I'm going to go out there and battle. I think it's going to be a great atmosphere, no matter what.

Q. You mentioned net play, coming to the net. Someone who prides yourself on having variety and not just being a big hitter, where did that variety in your game come from? When you were younger, how did you start playing that way and not just look to attack?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, so, my dad played the '80s and '90s, he was serve and volleying first serve and second serve every point, but the courts were much faster back then, they had, like, carpet surfaces, Rebound Ace, more grass courts. So, you know, he served and volleyed first serve, second serve every point. If I'm not mixing in serve and volley, he's kind of asking why I'm not mixing it in.

I try to mix it in as much as possible. I think with the way that I serve, it's a good way to change the rhythm and mix up the points how the other guy feels.

I also think that, you know, if you watch today's game, there are so many baseline battles and you just see the guys ripping from the baseline. Everybody, forehand and backhand, hits the ball unbelievable.

So to just go toe to toe with those guys, every single point seems kind of difficult. I think that coming into net and being a great net player is a way that you can make things easier on yourself, shorten points. If you can win points consistently within three or four shots, especially at a Grand Slam where you're playing five sets, it helps a lot being able to hold serve more quickly, not playing long, grueling rallies, and then, you know, the other guy has to play longer rallies when he's serving, I think it's an advantage.

Q. Do you remember what you know about Dominic Thiem? Do you remember watching him win here, or other Grand Slam finals he played in and what sort of your thoughts are on him as a player? Separately, I just wanted to ask if you noticed the extra movement that's now allowed during games even in the upper deck and if that distracted you at all, if you saw any of that during the match?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, well, first on Domi, 100% watched his final here in 2020. Crazy comeback. I think Zverev served for it maybe in fourth set, something like that? Yeah, match point. So yeah, that was an insane comeback. And then was it two French Open finals or three?

Q. One in Australia and two I think in France.

BEN SHELTON: So I saw the ones in Australia -- sorry, in the French Open. There was one year I think he played Nadal in the final, but he was playing crazy that year. Yeah, that was special to watch, as well.

Yeah, obviously I have been out here a couple years now, and he's kind of been in and out playing tournaments and not playing tournaments.

So you hate to see a guy like that, such a nice guy, great player, go through the injuries and deal with all that he's dealt with. But I think if I learn anything from him, it's that, you know, this is a game that is unforgiving. Things can change quick. You can be at the top of the game, and your body doesn't hold up or some freak accident happens, injuries happen all the time. So tennis isn't forever.

I think that's one thing to learn and take away. Obviously still had a career that a lot of people dream about.

But yeah, things can change quickly, so definitely be, you know, grateful for every moment that I have playing out here.

THE MODERATOR: Second question about the fan movement.

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, sorry, bro.

I noticed it, but once the point starts, I don't notice it. I guess with college tennis I've played, you know, this UTS Tour, as well, there's a lot of situations where I've been in that's a lot crazier than a couple of people walking with drinks back to their seat, Honey Deuces.

I don't really mind it. I'm sure some players will be annoyed with it this week and maybe stop playing or hold up as long as they can. Yeah, I don't really care.

Q. I would like to have your opinion as a young American player why people just love Coco Gauff so much. It's about personality, game, a mix? What can you say?

BEN SHELTON: I mean, I think first of all, the name is Coco, right? It's something that sticks in your mind. I mean, shout-out to Corey and Candi Gauff, because I think the name is half of it. It's a name that you remember.

Then, yeah, she's charismatic, such a great athlete, so many qualities out there on the court that, you know, resemble a male player, the way that she moves, the way that she can defend. You just see something from her that's special and different.

Then obviously she plays with a lot of passion. You could tell that she cares out there. She's into it every time that she's on the court. I think that's something that the people love.

Q. I was just thinking about confidence, and I wondered, it comes from different places for different players. For you, does it happen in match play, do you get it from the practice court, do you get it from people in the team around you, pumping you up? Where do you get your confidence from?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, for me it's a combination. My team is very honest. They don't sugarcoat things with me. So I know that if my dad tells me I have something locked in, I'm pretty locked in on it. If my strength coach tells me that I'm moving well and I look really good moving out of the corners, then I'm probably moving really well out of the corners.

From Washington, D.C. to now I feel like everything has gotten a little bit better each day. I thought I played well in Cincinnati, and I thought that, you know, out here today I was playing even better.

I feel pretty fine-tuned with the little things on the court right now, and I've gotten a lot of match play, which coming into this tournament last year, I had little to no confidence, hardly any match wins.

So it feels a little different being here this year. I just feel a little more at peace with my game, and I feel like I know my identity out there on the court.

Q. I thought you looked quite shredded. Did you put in extra work in these last few months?

BEN SHELTON: Thanks, my bro. (Laughter.)

Q. You look different. Is that something you have been working on recently?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I think that I'm always continuing to work on my body. I think from last year to now or the last eight months, I'm definitely down a few pounds. I don't know exactly how much, if it's five, if it's eight. I think when you think about longevity out here on tour, carrying around a lot of weight can be a negative. Obviously a positive with power.

But I think that the areas of my game that I've improved in the last eight months is my movement, my flexibility, how I'm recovering in between matches. I just feel like a little bit better athlete, and I don't know if that's because I'm a few pounds lighter or it's just a by-product of the work I have done.

Q. One of the things that Domi said was that last year, when he was going through the injury, he said part of that came from when he won the US Open he lost motivation, and he actually said that that attributed to his injury, he felt. Can you see that ever happening, and what do you do to guard against it?

BEN SHELTON: I think you never know until you're in the situation. You know, I haven't won a Grand Slam (smiling).

But it's a tough sport that we play when you look at the calendar, how many weeks that you need to play here to keep up with the field. I think it used to be a lot of guys played 16 weeks, 18 weeks. Now the tour average is probably, like, 25, 26, even for guys who are in the top 15.

So I think that's something that's changed and probably made it a little bit more difficult. For sure I could say for myself, no, I never see that happening to me, but you never know until you're in that situation. So I don't think I could really speak on that yet or right now.