"You can boo me, throw stuff at my head" - Ben Shelton says he is ready to face hostile Australian Open crowd in SF

Ben Shelton has advanced to his first Australian Open semifinal, where he will face the winner of the clash between Alex de Minaur and Jannik Sinner. The American has already expressed his readiness to take on a potentially hostile crowd in the highly anticipated showdown.

On Wednesday, January 22, Shelton faced Lorenzo Sonego in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open. Both players had battled through challenging matches to reach the last-eight stage and delivered a thrilling contest at the Rod Laver Arena.

The match featured exceptional shot-making from both sides, but the 21st seed Shelton emerged victorious with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 triumph. During his on-court interview, the first-time Australian Open semifinalist was reminded that he might not enjoy the crowd's support in his next match, as he will face either home favorite De Minaur or World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Acknowledging the situation, Ben Shelton expressed his awareness but noted that he would still have a section of the crowd cheering for him.

"Well, I mean, if it's the home favorite Alex de Minaur, 100%, you guys can boo me. You can throw stuff at my head. I understand home guy, and if it's the number one, it'll probably be the same, so I'm looking forward to it. I know I got a few people out in the crowd who are gonna be pulling for me too," Ben Shelton said.

Shelton's comments were received with huge cheers as several American flags in the crowd supported the youngest American man to reach the event's semifinals.

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Ben Shelton's head-to-head record against Alex de Minaur and Jannik Sinner ahead of Australian Open showdown

Ben Shelton at the Australian Open 2025 - Picture credit: Getty Images

Ben Shelton faces a challenging head-to-head record against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

The pair have met five times, with Sinner leading 4-1 in their rivalry. Notably, the Italian player dominated their recent encounters, winning the last four matches in straight sets. Should the American face the defending champion in the semifinals, he must adopt a step-by-step approach, focusing on each set to overcome the formidable challenge.

Meanwhile, Shelton has never faced Australia's Alex de Minaur on tour. As to Sinner vs De Minaur, the Italian holds a 9-0 lead over the Aussie. De Minaur must pull something extraordinary out of the hat to oust the defending champion in their quarterfinal clash.