Andre Agassi makes surprising Ben Shelton pick as the next American men's Grand Slam champion

Ben Shelton is one of the most promising American men's singles players at the moment. Recently, the youngster received a vote of confidence from Andre Agassi to become the next American men's Grand Slam champion, as the tennis legend shared his honest opinion about the 22-year-old’s game.

Shelton first rose to fame as a collegiate tennis star, leading the Florida Gators to the team national title in 2021, before winning the individual men's singles NCAA crown in 2022. Since then, the American has gone on to win two singles titles on the ATP Tour and has reached the semifinals of the US Open and the Australian Open.

Recently, Andre Agassi discussed the future of American men's singles players and pegged Ben Shelton to become the nation's next Grand Slam Champion, heaping praise upon the youngster’s game.

“I think Ben has such an imposing game. He has such a high-end gear that if somebody were to go to heaven for a couple weeks to win one, I think he might be my pick for the one that could possibly get over the line first,” he told the Bay Area Sports Wrap.

The last time an American player won a men's singles Grand Slam title was in 2003, when Andy Roddick outdid Juan Carlos Ferrero in the finals of the US Open.

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Ben Shelton set to join Andre Agassi in Team World at the Laver Cup

On Thursday, February 20, it was announced that Ben Shelton will be playing his third consecutive Laver Cup, competing for Team World under captain Andre Agassi.

Shelton made his Laver Cup debut in 2023, going undefeated over the course of three matches to help Team World to the win. Last year, the American played in two singles and three doubles matches, winning three of his five encounters.

Showing his confidence in Shelton, Andre Agassi labelled the 22-year-old an ‘explosive talent’, saying (as quoted by USTA.com),

“Ben is an explosive talent and thrives in this team environment. He’s had a strong start to the season, and I’m focused on building a team that will be ready to take on Europe in September!”

Shelton also showed his enthusiasm for the event, saying,

“It’s electric. The team format, the excitement, the fans – it’s next level. I’m really excited to be playing my third Laver Cup and first in front of an American crowd. I think it’ll be a pretty cool atmosphere in San Francisco and we are pumped and super motivated to win back the Laver Cup!”

Ben Shelton has had a strong start to his 2025 season, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.