'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABfAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAIBBAMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEBQYHEiERMQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMRAAMAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECIQADERIx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCb6xkRl+N9/wBpkWYZLVLXG3WHmMvc2ktxGVlaMEdQGPvUgqB5WcE5w5egRYk3HJhEAVR9TwDwfq0pVtLuFJ9NTacbeM1CwDkA+3P/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ben Shelton received heaps of praise from Andre Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert as he feels that the young American has grown a lot and has the potential to develop further in the future.
Shelton's rise to the top 50 has been nothing short of sensational. The 20-year-old has been very consistent on the tour so far, catching the eye of tennis fans in a short span of time. Owing to his impressive performances, he even signed a partnership with Roger Federer's sports agency TEAM8.
In a conversation on the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast, Gilbert emphasized the potential of the young player.
"You see where his game is and you think, man! There's a lot of growth upside in his game," stated the 61-year-old.
Trending
He was impressed by how quickly Shelton broke into the top 50. Gilbert feels that the player could make a "deep run" in the future.
"I think that the next one now who's gonna make that deep run in... I'm left there thinking about Ben Shelton probably more than anybody. Thinking about his upside for potential and growth. I mean, in less than 5 ATP tournaments in his career. He's obviously played quite a few Challengers in that short period of time. But, just 5... I think it's only 4 maybe its 5 pro-ATP events and he's already in the top 50," added the former player.
Patrick McEnroe praises Ben Shelton for his creativity but highlights certain things that have to be improved
Patrick McEnroe acknowledged that Ben Shelton has a lot of positive attributes in his game. However, he pointed out several aspects that the American has to improve to enhance his performance in the future.
Speaking on the Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe podcast, the former player stated that Shelton has to improve certain facets of the game like his court positioning, return of serve, and shot selection.
"You can say from watching him against Wolf, and then ofcourse, against Tommy Paul that you know, the serve, the forehand or explosives, the creativity [were impressive]. But, there are a couple of things that can get a lot better. You know, the return of serve, the court positioning, playing the right shot, putting pressure on in a more organized fashion," explained McEnroe.
Ben Shelton was last seen in action at the 2023 Australian Open where he suffered a quarter-final exit after losing against Tommy Paul.
