Ben Shelton sends confused message from Australian Open after seeing news of snow in Florida

Ben Shelton was left puzzled by seeing the news of a snowstorm in Florida. The 22-year-old, who resides in the city of Gainesville in Florida, is currently in Melbourne for the 2025 Australian Open, where he has reached the semifinals.

Shortly after the conclusion of his four-set quarterfinal win over Lorenzo Sonego at the prestigious hardcourt major, Shelton posted on his Instagram stories. The post featured a selfie of the American wearing a rather confused look, and it was captioned:

"Dawg is it fr (for real) snowing in Florida rn (right now) or is this sum (some) cap"

Cap is a slang term that means 'lie'.

Source: Instagram/Ben Shelton

Florida, a state known for its heat and humidity due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, is nicknamed the 'Sunshine State', and is widely regarded as one of the tennis hotspots of the US. However, it is currently in the midst of a rare winter storm. As per reports, the storm has brought the heaviest snowfall in the state's history. The last time Florida witnessed such scenes was way back in 1989.

On the tennis front, Shelton was impressive in his 2025 Australian Open quarterfinal display against Lorenzo Sonego. After the match, the American reflected on the encounter and also gave credit to the Italian for his performance.

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"Shoutout to Lorenzo Sonego" - Ben Shelton after Australian Open QF win over Italian

Ben Shelton celebrating his 2025 Australian Open quarterfinal win over Lorenzo Sonego (Source: Getty)

Ben Shelton registered a 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) victory against Lorenzo Sonego in the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals. During his post-match, on-court interview, the American expressed his relief at having come out on top in the four-set affair.

"I feel relieved right now, shoutout to Lorenzo Sonego because that was some ridiculous tennis. I’m just really happy to be through, to get my first win on Rod Laver Arena. Thanks everybody for coming out, it was one of my favourite matches of my career," Shelton said.

The World No. 20's post-match press conference though, ended on a controversial note, as he called out the Australian Open broadcasters over what he perceived to be disrespect unnecessarily dished out to players. The American cited his own example alongside those of 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and veteran Gael Monfils. Later, the likes of Boris Becker and Chris Evert stood by what Shelton had to say.

Shelton is set to face World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals on Friday, January 24.