Ben Shelton picks out who he considers his closest friend on the ATP Tour
Ben Shelton isn’t short on mates around the ATP Tour, especially among the American players. He gets along well with guys like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, and has built a reputation as one of the friendlier faces in the locker room.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/NWSL via Getty Images Ben Shelton isn’t short on mates around the ATP Tour, especially among the American players. He gets along well with guys like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, and has built a reputation as one of the friendlier faces in the locker room. Now 23, he’s the highest-ranked American on tour and recently made his return to action at the BMW Open in Munich after missing Monte Carlo.
There he faced off against world number 112 Emilio Nava, who is also his best friend in tennis. Ben Shelton praises Emilio Nava as ‘best friend’ following Munich victory Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images Shelton had been searching for form in recent weeks but managed to get back on track with a hard-fought win over Nava, taking the match 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3. After the match, Shelton spoke warmly about Nava, describing him as one of his closest friends and acknowledging how well he played.
“Yeah, it’s tough. Not just another American, but probably my best friend out on tour, one of a few,” said Shelton. “His trajectory has been steep lately, so happy to see the way that he’s been climbing.
I know he wasn’t feeling 100% today, so feel bad about that. You know, hope he gets back to 100% quickly because he’s playing great on the clay. “He’s got a massive serve, similar to my first round match last year, so it made things really, really difficult.