"It was a tough but a good decision" - Ben Shelton stands by his decision to skip Olympics in favor of the US Open series

Ben Shelton recently opened up about his decision to skip the 2024 Paris Olympics in favor of the US Open, saying that he made the right choice. Last year, Shelton had reached the semifinals of the New York Slam before falling 3-6, 2-6, 6-7 to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Following his fourth-round exit at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships against Jannik Sinner, Shelton shifted his focus to the North American hardcourt swing. First, he competed at the 2024 Atlanta Open where he was the top seed but lost to qualifier Juncheng Shang 6-7(6), 4-6 in the opening round.

The World No.13 then competed at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where he defeated the likes of qualifier Radu Albot, Brandon Nakashima, and Denis Shapovalov before coming up short against Flavio Cobolli in the semifinals. At the Canadian Open, he defeated Alexander Bublik in the first round before losing to eventual champion Alexei Popyrin in the second.

At the Cincinnati Open, Ben Shelton had a strong showing, defeating players like Reilly Opelka, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, and Fabian Marozsan, before falling to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.

Recently, while speaking to the press ahead of his campaign at the 2024 US Open, Shelton talked about his decision to skip the Paris Olympics to focus on the North American hardcourt swing while praising his compatriots for their impressive showings at the quadrennial Games.

"Really cool to see Tommy and Taylor get that medal, bronze medal in doubles, and obviously Raj and Austin fighting for the gold. I was tuned in, for sure. Also really cool to see my good friend Chris Eubanks get his first Olympics experience," Shelton said.

While he expressed some regret at missing the Olympics, Shelton said that it was a necessary decision to prioritize his game, given the demanding schedule of the tennis season.

"It was a tough decision, but the way that our schedule is, I think it's a good decision and a decision that I had to make. The schedule is so long, there's no breaks. If I was to go back again to Europe, another surface change, I think with where I'm at right now, it just would have been too much," he added.

Shelton also discussed his performance at the four hardcourt tournaments he participated in, leading up to the US Open. He acknowledged that opting out of the Olympics was a difficult decision, but ultimately deemed it necessary.

"I'm really happy with how these four tournaments have gone. I didn't perform well in every single one. But making semifinals in Washington after losing first round last year, and quarterfinals in Cincinnati for the first time, I think that my prep for the US Open has gone how I've wanted it to go. So yeah, I'm overall happy with my decision . Not one that I wanted to have to make, but necessary," Ben Shelton added.

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Ben Shelton: "Happy with where I am in my season, I feel fresh mentally and physically"

Ben Shelton [Source: Getty]

In the aforementioned press conference, Ben Shelton expressed his happiness in competing at the 2024 US Open. He attributed his enthusiasm to his strong performances at the 2024 Mubadala Citi DC Open and the Cincinnati Open.

Shelton expressed that he is currently in excellent physical and mental condition and feeling "fresh" ahead of his campaign at Flushing Meadows.

"I'm really excited. I'm in a really good place after Cincinnati. I thought I played some good ball there . I'm happy with where I am in my season. I feel fresh mentally and physically. Yeah, excited for this week. Obviously my favorite tournament of the year," Ben Shelton said.

Ben Shelton will face Dominic Thiem in the first round of the New York Slam on 26th August. Thiem, playing his last season as a professional player, has been granted a wildcard entry into the main draw.

Shelton and Thiem have faced each other twice on the ATP Tour, with both claiming a win apiece. Their most recent encounter was in the second round of the 2023 US Open, where Shelton emerged victorious after the Austrian retired from their match in the second round due to an abdominal issue, with the score reading 7-6(1), 1-0 ret.