"Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff lead the charge of this 19, 20, 21 year-old age group"- Pam Shriver

Former World No. 3 Pam Shriver hailed Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz, and Coco Gauff as the standout young talents in world tennis at the moment. All three players have had a remarkable year, displaying their immense potential on the main tour.

Alcaraz and Gauff clinched Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open (respectively), while Shelton reached his first career semifinal in New York.

Shriver, who secured a runner-up finish at the 1978 US Open, praised the trio for leading the charge among 19- to 21-year-olds on the main tour.

"I think Ben Shelton along with Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff lead the charge among 19, 20, 21-year-old age group that's and that's pretty special," Pam Shriver said on Inside-In podcast.

Alcaraz and Gauff had previously showcased their talent in recent years, with the Spaniard winning his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open and Gauff securing a French Open runner-up finish last year. However, Shelton has been a delightful surprise in 2023.

Apart from reaching the last four at the US Open, Shelton made a notable debut at the 2023 Australian Open, securing a quarterfinal finish. He also most recently reached the quarterfinals at the Shanghai Masters.

Reflecting on the youngster's US Open campaign, Shriver noted the unique moment when Novak Djokovic emulated his cheeky phone call celebration in New York, expressing her amusement at being in the same trash talking space as the elite Serbian champion.

"It's a combination of young fresh face and the bold personality you know. He was part of one of the most controversial moments, a couple of them at the US Open when he hung up, when he answered the phone call against Tiafoe and then Djokovic kind of turned the tables and did the same thing and but it was it's kind of like cool for tennis to be like in the trash talking elite of athletes, why not," Pam Shriver said.

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"I think now Ben Shelton is going to be ready to keep marching along" - Pam Shriver

China Tennis Shanghai Masters: Ben Shelton

Pam Shriver believes that Ben Shelton is poised to establish a more consistent presence in men's tennis and contend with the top-ranked players.

While Shelton made a promising start to the year with an impressive Australian Open performance, he encountered challenges maintaining his form in subsequent tournaments until his semifinal run at the US Open.

Shriver commended the American for his positive attitude and expressed confidence in his readiness to compete in significant tournaments and be a strong contender among the top players on the men's tour.

"I think now Shelton's going to be ready to keep marching along assuming he stays healthy which is always the million-dollar question," Pam Shriver said

With the Tokyo Open, Swiss Indoors Basel, and Paris Masters on the cards, it'll be interesting to see if Shelton is able to continue, amassing impressive results in his favor and finishing the season on a strong note.