Ben Shelton: "As a tennis player, it's easy to think the world revolves around you, but it doesn't"

Ben Shelton celebrated his 21st birthday at the 2023 Shanghai Masters with one of the biggest wins of his career, beating Jannik Sinner in the fourth round in a three-set thriller.

Less than 24 hours after he turned 21 on Monday (October 9), Shelton walked out on the court and downed the Italian 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach the first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal of his budding professional career.

Speaking at his press conference afterwards, the American, who turned pro at the end of last year, was asked what the most important lesson he has learned so far was. Shelton admitted there were a couple, the first being that he had to accept the fact that the world did not revolve around him just because he was a player on tour.

The 21-year-old pointed out that there were several people behind the scenes without whom the tour simply wouldn't function as smoothly as it does, and that he prioritized treating them right at the end of the day regardless of his results on the court.

"Most important lesson? I think that there's a couple. I think that, you know, being out on tour as a tennis player, it's easy for you to think that the world revolves around you, but it doesn't. For me, I think how I treat people every single day, around the site, and the people who work for the tournament, it really couldn't happen without them," Ben Shelton said.

"I think that it's easy, just being in the situation myself and seeing it, it would be easy to take it for granted and think that, you know, you're a star or you're bigger than you really are. I think that staying true to myself and treating people the right way day-in and day-out, no matter how I'm feeling, losing a match, winning a match, I think that's probably one of the biggest lessons that I've learned," he added.

As for the second biggest lesson, the World No. 20 stated that he had to understand that people were always watching the things he was saying and doing, which he did not really grasp back in his college tennis-playing days.

"I guess the other biggest lesson I've learned is just, you know, people are always watching the things that you do and say. Being a college kid a year and a half ago, that wasn't something that I expected or to be in that situation now. It's something that, you know, happened quite quickly and was kind of a shock to me," Ben Shelton said.

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"I'm really excited whenever Americans are going deep in the draw" - Ben Shelton excited for Sebastian Korda clash in Shanghai Masters quarterfinals

2023 Shanghai Rolex Masters - Day 9

Up next, Ben Shelton will take on compatriot Sebastian Korda in the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals. Korda downed Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets in the fourth round to reach the final eight at the Masters 1000 tournament.

Shelton was "really excited" about the all-American clash and looked forward to facing off against a player who, he believed, was in top form. In the Round of 32, Korda beat World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

"I'm really excited whenever Americans are going deep in the draw, it's something really cool for me to see, so one of us will be in the semifinals here in Shanghai, which is awesome," Ben Shelton said.

"But, yeah, looking forward to it. Sebe's a great guy and playing really, really good form. He beat the No. 2 player in the world, No. 3 player in the world, Medvedev, and arguably one of the best hard court seasons on tour. I think that shows how well Sebe's playing and, yeah, I'm really looking forward to a battle," he added.