Boom Boom Ben

ATP

Boom Boom Ben

Ben Shelton’s rise on tour has been lightning fast.

In just three years on tour, he’s already made two slam semis and cracked the Top 15. He’s not just a “future American hopeful” anymore. He’s here. And he’s doing it by going all-in on what he does best.

That to me is the most interesting part of his game — not just the 152 mph bombs, but the philosophy behind it. Shelton is a walking case study in how far you can go by having big biceps maximizing your strengths. He’s a reminder that you don’t need to be good at everything. If you’re world-class at one or two things, and good enough at the rest, you can be a top player.

Let’s take a closer look at his biggest strength: the serve.

Shelton’s serve is one of the best in the world. He holds 89% of the time, averages 10 aces per match, and about 1 decapitation (fan or opponent) per tournament.

But it’s not just the speed. It’s the architecture of the serve that’s incredible. Two details stand out:

The Knee Bend

His motion has the deepest knee bend of anyone on tour. He’s basically sitting in a chair at the bottom of his load phase. Compared to Federer — a great server in his own right — you can see how much lower Shelton gets. His left thigh is almost parallel to the ground, whereas Federer’s right is almost vertical. That exaggerated bend is the rocket fuel that let’s him explode upward into contact.

The Tossing Hand

This one’s weird. Most players point their fingers upwards after they’ve released their toss. Not Shelton. His tossing hand flips open, fingers pointing behind him. It’s very Roddick-esque. That unusual position allows him to get more backbend, and is probably a big reason why his serve has surpassed Roddick-level speeds.

The Weaknesses

Shelton’s backhand and return are works in progress — his padre (and coach) would be the first to say that. But here’s the thing: if little Shelly had spent the past five years trying to patch those holes instead of developing the cannon, we might be talking about a guy sitting around 150 in the world. Respectable. But not a grand slam semifinalist.

Instead, he leaned into what made him different. And it’s working big time.

Rapid Rise, Historic Pace

To fully appreciate how quickly Shelton has ascended, here’s some context.

His first time leaving the U.S. was for the 2023 Australian Open — where he made the semis.

Tommy Paul — who’s carved out an excellent career — took about four years to crack the Top 100. Taylor Fritz? Roughly seven years to make it into the Top 20. Ben? He got there in less than three.

Why I’m Bullish

Is his game good enough to beat Carlos or Jannik in best of 5? No. He’s got to get a lot better from the baseline.

But his top .001% serve + pace of improvement over the last 3 years makes me bullish that he’ll be a Top 10 player for sure.

The ceiling is crazy high. And if he keeps building around that serve, the floor is pretty damn high too.

Trivia

Roughly 10% of the world’s population is left-handed. Who was the last lefty on the WTA tour to win a grand slam singles title?

A. Markéta Vondroušová

B. Petra Kvitova

C. Angelique Kerber

D. Leylah Fernandez

Find out at the bottom!

Meet the Player

Alex Michelsen

From: United States 🇺🇸

Best Slam Result: 4R

Career High Ranking: 30

Fun Fact: Biggest passion outside tennis is coin collecting. Owns over $10,000 in various coins.

Game Analysis: Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly’s son has a clean game built around a heavy first serve and a reliable, flat backhand that he takes early. He’s not flashy, but he wins with disciplined patterns, court awareness, and a game that’s already mature beyond his years.

Career Prediction: The 20 year old doesn’t have any glaring holes in his game, which gives him massive upside. Now with Craig Boynton as his coach, I think he’s got a shot at the Top 15. It’ll take time, but the Laguna native will get there.

Ask

Dearly Beloved Reader - this is long shot, but do you know anyone that could help me get a media credential at the US Open this year? Any leads would be super appreciated!

I’ll be there during Fan Week, and would love to bring back a cool story for you all!

Around the Net

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👏 Get you a partner that is this locked in during your match

🤓 Think you’re a real tennis nerd? Test your knowledge and see how many players you know just based on their footwork. I got all but one right. Reply to the newsletter and let me know how you did!

Answer

A. Markéta Vondroušová