Ben Shelton’s success is bringing his countrymen together, according to Tommy Paul: “Ben Shelton’s got that young-kid energy, it’s a lot of fun”
In a competitive field, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton have solidified their positions as top-tier Americans. In the men’s singles rankings’ Top 100, there are 13 US players.
This specific set of players seems to get along well, yet such a situation might be a breeding environment for rivalries and competitiveness.
During his post-match news conference at the current Shanghai Masters, Tommy Paul remarked on the “young-kid” spirit that Ben Shelton brings to the table, noting it is a lot of joy to have the youngster there.
“It’s fun having him around. He’s definitely young. He’s got that young-kid energy, so it’s a lot of fun, especially with the group of older guys that we have now,” Paul said.
The No. 2 American also recalled their initial encounter and mentioned that he knew Shelton’s father but was careful to clarify that he did not take the young man under his wing when he first started playing on the ATP Tour.
“No, it’s fantastic. When Ben Shelton was younger, like 17 or so, I didn’t know him all that well, but I did know his dad a little bit. I wouldn’t say I took him under my wing or anything, but I loved the kid and felt he was going to be fantastic when he first joined the tour,” Paul said.
Tommy Paul also spoke about the lengthy history of tennis in America, noting the existence of separate generations that have all pushed the succeeding ones to improve.
Ben Shelton was doing just that for people like him, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and others, he was happy to point out.
“I mean, it’s weird to call us older guys, but, like, coming up with Foe and Fritz. We have a bunch of good players, so it’s cool to have that young guy come in and really push us. I mean, it’s almost bringing us together in a way,” Tommy Paul said.
“Yeah, absolutely. I think you see it in a lot of different generations in tennis. This one, it’s pretty cool,” he added.
The 26-year-old also praised the current generation of American athletes, saying it was fantastic to see several names in the Top 10 at once.
“Two of our members are in the top ten. So, the fact that we’re truly at the top of the game is great. I mean, all of our top athletes join other sports, so I think that serves as our justification.”
Tommy Paul won his opening match against Sebastian Ofner in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, to get off to a solid start at the 2023 Shanghai Masters.
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