Ben Shelton defeated Casper Ruud in four sets to set up a quarterfinal date with Jannik Sinner in the 2026 Australian Open. Shelton dropped the first set but went on to win three straight sets against Ruud.
After the game, Shelton was asked by the interviewer who carries themselves with the most confidence or, in more modern terms, ‘swag.’ The interviewer mentioned Novak Djokovic calling him ‘GOAT’, and after being nudged by Shelton, also acknowledged Carlos Alcaraz. The American sensation mentioned Tommy Paul, up-and-coming star Learner Tien and among women picked Coco Gauff.
“I think Carlos Alcaraz has got a little bit of swag,” Shelton said. “You might have missed that. Yeah, I think Tommy Paul’s got the quiet swag. And I don’t know, from what I’m seeing so far from Learner Tien, he might be moving up that list real quick. Definitely a lot of others that I’ve missed, but I think I’ve got to put one girl in there, 100 percent, Coco Gauff. Well, you definitely have a lot of swagger.”
Apart from Alcaraz, Shelton went with his American boys and Gauff, showing the camaraderie and respect that they share.
In his post-match interview, Shelton also embraced the fans at Rod Laver Arena, who gathered for Novak Djokovic’s match, but his opponent, Jakub Mensik, decided to withdraw from the fourth-round clash.
Ben Shelton Gearing Up To Avenge 2025 AO Loss Vs Jannik Sinner
Ben Shelton’s biggest challenge so far this tournament will be in the quarterfinals, where he’ll aim to beat defending champion Jannik Sinner, who reached here after defeating Italy’s Luciano Darderi.
Previously, the two met in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open last year as well, where the Italian defeated Shelton in straight sets. He also defeated Shelton at Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000 Paris and Nitto ATP Finals. As such, Shelton has an underwhelming record against Sinner, winning only one match out of nine encounters.
“It’s what you look forward to the most in this sport,” Shelton said. “It’s where I wanted to be, I wanted to be back here, to give myself another shot, I wanted to improve on some things that I didn’t do as well last year and leave it all out on the court.
“For me, like I’ve said in earlier rounds, I have a lot more that I want to do here and I have a lot more to prove. Hope you guys come back in two days’ time because I’ll be ready to go.”
It remains to be seen if Shelton avenges his losses in 2025 and goes to the semifinals, where he’ll face the winner of the quarterfinal between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Mussetti.
Read More News:
Madison Keys Suffers Crushing Career Setback After Jessica Pegula Heartbreak At Australian Open
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
