"I wasn’t really supposed to be this great player" – Ben Shelton reveals what sets him apart from ATP’s tennis 'prodigies'

Ben Shelton opened up about what sets him apart from the 'prodigies' on the ATP Tour. The American, who started playing tennis at 12, believes he is not a "finished product" unlike players who began playing at the ages of five or six.

Shelton was featured in Vogue's 2025 issue and sat down for an interview with the magazine. He discussed several topics including what sports he used to think were "cool" and how tennis was not one of them. This led to the World No. 12 beginning to play tennis at the age of 12 and not earlier even though he belongs to a family dedicated to tennis.

His father Bryan, spent eight years on the pro tour and was a college tennis coach. His sister, Emma, and mother Lisa also competed at the college level. Ben, however, believes it is his late start and strong early rise that sets him apart from the ATP's elite.

“Most of these guys who are at the top of the game right now, they were prodigies—five or six years old, racket in their hand, training every day. I wasn’t really supposed to be this great player. And so to get to top 20 in the world within two years of playing college tennis? That’s something that I don’t take for granted," Ben Shelton said.

"It’s tough to be a finished product by 18 if you start at 12—but I’m not a finished product," he added.

In July 2021, Shelton was ranked World No. 1829 but he rose quickly to within the Top 100 by November 2022. Since breaking into the Top 20 in September 2023, he has been a mainstay in the top names on the ATP Tour.

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"Tennis wasn’t really cool" - Ben Shelton opens up about which sports he thought were 'cool' in school

Ben Shelton at the Dallas Open 2025 - Source: Getty

Ben Shelton, during the same interview with Vogue, admitted that tennis was his dad's and sister's thing but not his. He said:

"For me, growing up in American public schools... Tennis wasn’t really cool. Football is cool, basketball is cool—even baseball is cool. But playing quarterback—being on that field, hitting people—for me, that was the most fun you can have in athletics."

The 22-year-old has come a long way in the world of tennis making two Grand Slam semifinal appearances. Up next for him is the Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells. As the 11th seed, he receives a bye in the first round and will face the winner of Learner Tien and Mariano Navone in the second.