Looking into Ben Shelton's complaint about controversial Gael Monfils 'dad' moment at Australian Open: What really happened?

During Ben Shelton’s on-court interview with expert commentator Roger Rasheed on January 20, he stirred some controversy after advancing to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second time in his career, following his 2023 run. The match ended unexpectedly when Gael Monfils was forced to retire mid-match in the fourth set, with the score at 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 1-0 in Shelton’s favor.

In a lighthearted moment, Rasheed touched on the age gap between the two players and jokingly asked about Monfils.

"What does [Gael] mean to you? Well, he's almost your dad, not really. Sorry Bryan [Shelton].”

Shelton responded with a smile, asking:

“Was that a Black joke?"

“I’m not sure, I’m not sure. Let’s not go there,” Rasheed replied.

On Wednesday, January 22, Ben Shelton clinched a spot in the Australian Open semifinals with a hard-fought victory over Italy's Lorenzo Sonego. The American triumphed in a thrilling four-set match, winning 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4).

During his post-match press conference, Ben Shelton shared his thoughts on how players are treated by broadcasters, voicing his concerns on the matter.

“I've been a little bit shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters,” Shelton said.

He brought attention to Novak Djokovic being labeled as "overrated" by a Channel 9 reporter, as well as the incident involving Learner Tien during his post-match interview following his victory over Daniil Medvedev.

“And I don't think that the guy who mocked Novak, I don't this that was just a single event. I've noticed it with different people, not just myself. Also with Learner Tien, his post-match interview, after he beat Medvedev, I thought that was embarrassing and disrespectful that interview,” he added.

The 22-year-old also reflected on his past on-court interview experiences, noting that some of them felt inappropriate to him.

“There were some comments that were made to me in a couple of interviews by a couple of different guys. 'Oh, Monfils is old enough to be your dad, maybe he is your dad'... Or... 'Hey, Ben, how does it feel that no matter who you'd be playing your next match no one's gonna be cheering for you.'... Well... it may be true, but I just don't think a comment like this is respectful from a guy I never met before in my life.”

He later shared his thoughts on the broadcasters' responsibilities mentioning:

“And I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport..I feel like it's just been a lot of negativity and that's something that needs to change.”

Ben Shelton will play in the semifinal of the Australian Open for the first time on Friday, January 24.

Ben Shelton to play Jannik Sinner in Australian Open 2025 SF

2024 Shanghai Rolex Masters - Day 10 - Source: Getty

Ben Shelton is gearing up to face Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open. This will mark their fifth meeting, with the Italian currently holding a 4-1 lead in their head-to-head record.

The American advanced to the semifinals after defeating Lorenzo Sonego in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, January 22.

On the same day, Jannik Sinner faced off against Australian Alex de Minaur in his quarterfinal match. The Italian delivered a dominant performance, securing a straight-sets victory at the Rod Laver Arena with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.