"Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz & Christopher Eubanks have taken me under their wing" - Ben Shelton on his first full season on the tour

Ben Shelton recently spoke about how his peers like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Christopher Eubanks have guided him to do well in his first full season on the tour in 2023.

The 20-year-old American turned pro in August 2022. Since then, Shelton has already made waves, reaching the semifinals at the 2023 US Open and the quarterfinals at the 2023 Australian Open. He also had a successful Laver Cup debut earlier on Friday (September 22), beating Team Europe's Arthur Fils for the loss of just seven games.

In that context, Ben Shelton was asked during his post-match press conference whether seeking advice from the older generation of American players has influenced his results.

The World No. 19 responded in the affirmative, before naming Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Christopher Eubanks as three players who have "taken him under their wing" this year. He said:

"Yeah, you know, the three guys who are probably on me and then most during the match were Chris Eubanks, Frances, and Taylor Fritz, guys who have kind of, you know, taken me under their wing since I have been out on tour, giving me advice when I have played players that they have played before."

He then expressed gratitude towards the trio for being in his corner, before lavishing praise on their respective performances in 2023.

"So to be able to have them in my corner during the match, you know, top American guys, guys who have had great results this summer, beaten a lot of top players, to be able to kind of see how their minds work during the match, something that I haven't been able to see before, was really cool and special for me. Now it's time to go out and cheer for my team," he added.

Frances Tiafoe has led the American male players in taking over the men's singles tour

Frances Tiafoe pumps his fist at the 2023 US Open

Frances Tiafoe has enjoyed a respectable season on the ATP tour in 2023, with a 37-17 win-loss record and two titles to boot - Houston (claycourt) and Stuttgart (grass).

The last of those title triumphs allowed Tiafoe to crack the men's top-10 rankings for the first time in his career. He also reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open, where he lost to Shelton himself in four tough sets.

World No. 8 Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, has solidified his position in the top 10 in 2023, winning two ATP titles in Delray Beach and Atlanta. The American also had a good campaign at the recently concluded US Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

After Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz, top-20 players Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul have been the best American players, with both of them having reached the semifinals of a Major tournament in 2023.

The likes of Christopher Eubanks, Sebastian Korda and Mackenzie McDonald are also not far behind the pack and have given a good account of themselves on the tour this year.