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Serena Williams' former coach Nick Macci has compared Ben Shelton to former American tennis star Andy Roddick and backed the 21-year-old to challenge for Grand Slam titles in the near future.
Shelton burst onto the scene with an incredible semi-final run at the 2023 US Open. He played aggressive tennis throughout the tournament and thrilled the crowd with his charisma and competitive attitude. He is now the highest-ranked American men's player on the tour, ranked at his career-best position of World No. 14.
In his exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Nick Macci admitted that he sees some similarities in attitude between Andy Roddick and Ben Shelton. Roddick won the US Open title in 2003 and was the youngest American World No. 1 in the Open Era. He was known for his competitive nature on the court and his fiery attitude, which made him a crowd favourite over the years.
Macci believes that Shelton has a feisty attitude, similar to Roddick's, which could see him challenge for Major honours soon. He further added that Shelton has a strong game that could see him compete with the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the coming years.
"Even though you got Medvedev, you got a lot of guys in there that aren't going anywhere, but Shelton is here to stay. He has a big game and he's only getting to get better. He reminds me a little bit of Roddy (Andy Roddick) because he has that feisty attitude," Macci said with respect to Shelton challenging for Grand Slams.
Rick Macci hails Ben Shelton as "one of the best servers in the world"
While talking about Ben Shelton, Rick Macci opined that the former's service was one of the best in the world. In his young career so far, Shelton has impressed with his incredible serving prowess, which has turned into a key weapon in his arsenal.
During the 2023 US Open, he recorded the fastest serve of the tournament. He fired in a service at 149 mph during his victory against Tommy Paul, falling just short of the 152 mph record set by Andy Roddick in 2003. According to the ATP website, Shelton has already served more than 600 aces in his career so far, which is further proof of his strong service game.
Macci believes that Shelton can use his big serves to his advantage on any surface against any opponent. He further added that all of the American players have a chance to win a Grand Slam title due to the vacuum left by the 'Big 3.'
"The one thing Ben has gone for him is his serve, and when you have one of the best serves in the world, you can be in a tiebreaker or five all with anybody anytime on any surface. I think all the Americans have a chance at a grand slam, whether it be Ben Shelton or Sebastian Korda," Macci said.
Ben Shelton's latest win came against Frances Tiafoe in the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston. Shelton defeated his compatriot 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, to clinch the second ATP title of his career.
