WATCH: Ben Shelton hilariously struggles to cut his birthday cake after blowing out candles in Shanghai

American tennis player Ben Shelton celebrated his 21st birthday in Shanghai, coinciding with the ongoing Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Ben Shelton is making his debut at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. In the first round of the tournament, he competed against Spanish tennis player Jaume Munar and secured a victory with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Advancing to the second round, he faced Roman Safiullin and managed to win with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Notably, Safiullin had previously defeated Alexander Zverev, creating a rematch scenario from their encounter in the Chengdu Open final, which Safiullin had lost before meeting Ben Shelton.

In a video posted on the Shanghai Rolex Masters' Twitter account, Ben Shelton was featured celebrating his birthday with cakes and blowing out candles. Later, when he tried to cut the cake, it proved to be quite challenging for him, and he struggled to do so.

Shelton, who turned pro in 2022, was born on October 9, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents are Bryan and Witsken Shelton, and he is coached by his father, Bryan Shelton, a former tennis player and coach, as well as traveling coach Dean Goldfine

Ben Shelton is scheduled to compete against Jannik Sinner in the round of 16 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Shelton VS Sinner

Ben Shelton is having an impressive 2023 season, currently holding the No. 20 spot on the ATP rankings. In September, he achieved a career-high ranking of 19th.

During this season, Shelton reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January, marking a significant milestone in his career. However, he was defeated by fellow countryman Tommy Paul, in what was his first quarterfinal appearance in a Major tournament.

At the 2023 US Open, the 21-year-old surprised many by reaching the tournament's semifinals. However, he was eventually defeated by the eventual winner, Novak Djokovic, who clinched his historic 24th Grand Slam title. Shelton's "dialed in" celebrations added a unique and entertaining element to the tournament, with Djokovic even joining in by mimicking him.

Shelton is poised to take on Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner in the round of 16 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Sinner, who is 22 years old, has also had an impressive year, having defeated Marcus Giron and Sebastian Baez in the tournament before setting up this encounter with Shelton.

Sinner is currently sitting at a career-high ranking of 4th on the ATP rankings and has secured his spot in the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. Similar to Shelton, this also marks Sinner's inaugural appearance at the Shanghai Open.

Throughout this season, Sinner has celebrated victories at the Canadian Open, the 2023 Open Sud de France, and most recently, the China Open.

Notably, the upcoming match between Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner will mark their first-ever encounter on the tennis court.