"Definition of insufferable and out of touch with reality" - Fans call out Ben Shelton's 'audacity' over questioning $300/hr car service rate

Fans criticized Ben Shelton after he questioned the hourly labor rate for car servicing, even joking about applying for the job himself. Many felt the American tennis star’s comment came across as out of touch with everyday realities.

Shelton shared an encounter on his Instagram story about a visit to a car repair shop, where he was quoted a $300 per hour labor rate—a price the 22-year-old found high. He wrote:

"This service shop just told me their hourly labor rate is 300/hour when I asked them to do some work on my car. So I said do you have an application I wanna apply for a job. Crazy world out here."

The Instagram story was posted on X and fans called out the "multimillionaire." One wrote:

"Definition of insufferable and out of touch with reality"

One X user calculated Ben Shelton's earnings in 2024 and wrote:

"Excuse my quick napkin math, but in 2024, Ben Shelton spent 130 hours, 26 minutes on court and made $2.2 million. That's an average hourly rate of $17,000. So sure, yes, crazy world out here"

Another fan mocked the notion of a multimillionaire facing “struggles” over service fees, writing:

"Lol not the struggles of a multimillionaire PLEASE"

One commenter questioned Shelton's "audacity," writing:

"Where does he find the audacity is all I wanna know"

Another fan felt the tone of the post was not good, writing:

"Yeh what is he getting at here? Makes him sound kinda like a jerk ngl."

One fan speculated on the American's social media approach, writing:

"I fear that Ben, who I find very nice, unlike many of his tennis colleagues does not always rely on a social media manager. Or the one he has is not that great."

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Ben Shelton to represent the USA at the Davis Cup Finals 2024 in Malaga

Ben Shelton at the Rolex Paris Masters 2024 (Image: Getty)

The Davis Cup Finals will be played next week in Malaga, Spain. Eight nations including the USA will vie for the coveted title. The USA will be represented by Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Austin Krajicek, Rajeev Ram, and Tommy Paul.

The USA is the most successful nation at the Davis Cup, winning the title 32 times and finishing runner-up 29 times. This year, it will take on Australia in the quarterfinals with the winner set to face the winner of the quarterfinal between defending champion Italy and Argentina.