Why Ben Shelton snubbed Nike for Roger Federer-backed On in biggest decision of his career

Ben Shelton has become the youngest American man to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinal since Andy Roddick in 2004. But Shelton isn't just carving a unique path on the court. Let’s take a look at why he sports On instead of Nike, a brand that has long been favored by many iconic American stars.

With a US Open and an Australian Open semifinal already behind him, Shelton is showing the power, speed, and toughness that make him one of tennis's brightest young stars. A major step in that journey came over a year ago when he made a bold choice.

Instead of signing with Nike, despite its deep ties to his college, the University of Florida, he partnered with On, the Swiss brand backed by Roger Federer. Shelton had every chance to join Nike’s long list of stars. But he went a different way. As he put it in an interview with The New York Times last year:

"I didn’t want to be one of 50 Nike guys... Obviously it was also a big draw with On having probably the biggest icon in the history of tennis — you know, other than, like, Serena (Williams)."

The move wasn’t just about clothes. Shelton saw an opportunity to stand out. As one of On’s first big names in men’s tennis, he’s been able to grow with the brand and work closely with its team, something that’s rare with bigger companies like Nike.

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Ben Shelton to take on Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon 2025 QF

Ben Shelton at The Championships - Wimbledon 2025 - Source: Getty

Ben Shelton has been in dominant form so far at Wimbledon, dispatching Alex Bolt, Rinky Hijikata, and Marton Fucsovics with straight-set wins in the first three rounds. He then secured a big victory in the fourth round, beating Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(1), 7-5 to book his place in the quarter-finals.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner reached the quarter-finals after Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire mid-match due to a pectoral injury. Remarkably, Dimitrov was leading two sets to none before the injury struck. Sinner himself has been managing a sore elbow from an early fall and will have an MRI before facing Shelton.

Sinner holds a convincing 5-1 edge in their head-to-head matchups, including a straight-sets win over Shelton at Wimbledon last year. Shelton’s lone victory came in Shanghai in 2023. Though Shelton’s aggressive style threatens to rattle Sinner, the top-ranked Italian's grass-court consistency gives him the upper hand.