Ben Shelton's father Bryan explains what makes his son special

Bryan Shelton has recently spoken about his son, Ben Shelton's competitive attitude and driven work ethic which make him 'special'.

Ben Shelton recently competed at the 2023 Japan Open. On his way to the final, the American beat Japanese Taro Daniel, Australian Jordan Thompson, and compatriots Tommy Paul and Marcos Giron. The World No. 15 then defeated Aslan Karatsev in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, to clinch his maiden ATP singles title.

During an interview with Ubi Tennis, Ben Shelton's father Bryan Shelton, who used to play tennis as well, spoke about the competitive attitude of his son, saying the 21-year-old is always looking forward to playing against top opponents.

"I think he's a great competitor, he loves to compete and it doesn't matter the level. Whether it's a Challenger tournament, ATP or a Grand Slam, he sees it as an opportunity to show his talent, his personality, to have fun. And challenge himself and have the opportunity to play against the best like Casper [Ruud] and Jannik [Sinner] and the others," Bryan Shelton said.

"He is always enthusiastic and we left Tokyo yesterday (Monday, ed.) and arrived here. I should say he's eager to play now," he added.

Shelton's father further spoke about his dedicated work ethic which makes the World No. 15 stand out from the rest.

"Many players, after a tournament, maybe think about taking a week off, but he never even thought about taking a break. He wants to play again, you know? He loves the challenge. I like that he has that attitude because I think he's special," Bryan Shelton said.

"Even when he doesn't feel 100%, he doesn't make excuses, he wants to compete. He wants to train, he wants to push. We just need to make sure he doesn't push too hard," he added.

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"He lost against a great champion" - Ben Shelton's father Bryan on his US Open loss to Novak Djokovic

Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2023 US Open SF

During the same interview, Ben Shelton's father Bryan spoke about his son's semifinal exit from the 2023 US Open at the hands of eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

He said although the 21-year-old lost to the World No. 1, playing against Djokovic with confidence was 'fantastic' for Shelton.

"I think it was the last option. He felt really good about the tournament. He did some things there. Especially after a season where he wasn't winning many games. Coming there and winning all those matches in a row (five) gave him confidence," he said.

"And playing against Djokovic with confidence, I think it was fantastic. He lost the match, against a great champion," he added.

Bryan Shelton further suggested that the loss at the New York Slam helped Ben Shelton reflect on the mistakes he made and work on them.

"So I think he just learned from the match, he went back and watched the video, he really had time after the US Open to reflect on what he needs to do to continue to improve so that he can one day win those types of matches. Identifying the things he can do better. And then go back to work," the former World No. 55 said.