WATCH: Ben Shelton receives grand welcome from Cowboys cheerleaders in spectacular entrance at Dallas Open

Ben Shelton entered the center court at the Dallas Open in a unique fashion for his first-round clash against Aleksandar Vukic. The American passed through a pathway created by "America's Sweethearts," the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

On Tuesday, February 4, fourth seed Shelton commenced his campaign in Dallas against Australia's Vukic. The 22-year-old was greeted by the NFL cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys. They lined up on two sides with Shelton passing from between them in a unique entry.

Watch Ben Shelton's entry at the Dallas Open below:

Like his entry, Shelton's performance was also grand. He pulled off a 6-3, 6-3 win in just 63 minutes to advance into the next round.

---

Ben Shelton praises Dallas Open 1R opponent, exudes confidence ahead of the next match

Ben Shelton at the ATP 500 Dallas Open 2025 - Source: Getty

During his post-match interview, Ben Shelton praised his opponent Aleksandar Vukic for his exceptional capabilities on the court. He said, via ATP Tour:

"[He] obviously is a guy who's a great server. Actually, I beat him in my match to make the Top 100 and he bagelled me in the first set that match. so not an easy matchup for me."

Shelton was referring to the final of the 2022 ATP Challenger event in Champaign. Vukic won the first set 6-0 and looked set to bag the title but Shelton pulled off a remarkable comeback to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-2.

"To break him three times tonight is something I take a lot of confidence from and moving forward into the rest of the tournament, feeling really confident," the American added.

The 22-year-old had a forgetful start to the 2025 season losing his first match at ASB Classic, as a top seed against Jakub Mensik. However, he was on a hot streak at the Australian Open, reaching his first semifinal at the Melbourne Slam before falling to eventual winner Jannik Sinner.

Ranked at World No. 13, Shelton hoped to continue his climb. He said:

"I don't think it's an overnight thing. Maybe it's a little bit of an evolution, but I think just the steady work paying off," Shelton said. "I didn't see as many big results last year as I wanted to, but the work was there every single day."

Next up for Ben Shelton is either China's Bu Yunchaokete or Spain's Jaume Munar in the second round of the Dallas Open. The American has a 1-0 advantage over Munar. Meanwhile, if he faces Yunchaokete, it will mark their first-ever meeting on the tour.