Ben Shelton gives shoutout to dad Bryan as he revisits American's formidable days as tennis pro

Ben Shelton is one of the most promising tennis players of today, but his father Bryan Shelton also used to play tennis, and he was a pretty good player in his time as well. Ben emerged a couple of years ago on the Challenger Tour before breaking out in a proper way during the Australian Open.

Since then, he's established himself as one of the better players, playing impressive tennis on all surfaces, though hard courts are the best for him because he grew up on them. That success pushed Shelton to become a professional tennis player, with his father becoming his primary coach.

His father was a player as well, playing from 1989 to 1997, peaking at number 55 in 1992. He also won two trophies and made the 4th round of Wimbledon in 1994. His son has already eclipsed him when it comes to achievements, but the son is very proud of his dad as he gave him a shoutout on social media, sharing a video showing highlights of his father during his playing days.

Shelton on Instagram

He didn't caption the video with anything but a dog emoji, which implies being highly skilled at something. It's a slang expression, and according to Shelton, it was more than enough.

Shelton often talks about his father and the impact he had on him because he is his primary coach and left his position as a college tennis coach to coach his son, something the younger Shelton deeply appreciates.

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Ben and Bryan Shelton win in Houston 32 years apart

ATP 250 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships 2024 - Final Day - Source: Getty

Something really amazing happened last year when Shelton made the final at the Hosuton Clay Championship. He faced Frances Tiafoe in the final and beat him to capture his maiden clay trophy but the triumph was also significant because this was a spot where his father also triumphed many years ago.

Bryan Shelton won that event in 1992 beating Jeff Tarango in three sets. The name of the event was different back then but the court and the facility is the same. 32 years after Bryan won there, his son Ben Shelton won the trophy in 2024 marking a rather rare feat in tennis.

There have been father and sons both playing tennis but both winning a trophy doesn't happen very often and the event being on US solid only makes it even better. Shelton had lots of family in attendance and his dad as well so it was just a really cool moment for the family and something they will cherish for a very long time.