Ben Shelton said he was quite surprised by the level he is managing to express in this edition of the Australian Open 2025 and, in general, in the Slam tournaments. The American reached the second semifinal in a Major in his career by beating Lorenzo Sonego in four sets and will challenge Jannik Sinner for a place in the final.
“I’m happy. It’s not something I expected to do when my career started. As a child, when I stopped playing, I was a little overweight. I weighed a lot. I’ve always suffered physically, so it’s special to play my best tennis in the big tournaments and to be able to physically withstand the best-of-five set matches,” he explained in a press conference.
Ben Shelton© Stream screenshot
In the semifinals there will be the challenge with the ATP number 1. On that note, Shelton has a plan he will try to implement to reach his first Grand Slam final.
“Sinner is the defending champion and we know what he is doing. I am looking forward to playing him. Every match against the best players in the world gives you a chance to improve. You have to play aggressively, but it is a calculated risk. You have to pick the right time and have faith in what you believe in. I have been a little conservative so far and he will have to step up in the semifinals,” he explained.
On the match he won against Sonego, the American analyzed: “It was one of the worst days on serve for me. We both struggled to find our game in the first two sets. I hadn’t spent much time on Rod Laver Arena before and it was very windy. It took me a while to adjust to the conditions.
He started to ‘punch me’ and serve well. It was tough, I wasn’t able to get the break at one point in the match. I’m trying to stay more focused on the court. Obviously I’m a passionate player and I love that to show on the court.”
Tennis World USA