The American couldn’t recover from the hump towards Alexander Zverev on Sunday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, however he vows to be again.
Chris OddoSeptember 13, 20262 minute learn
Ben Shelton got here inside one victory of ending the longest Grand Slam drought in American males’s tennis. As a substitute, he walked away from the US Open satisfied he nonetheless has a protracted technique to go.
Alexander Zverev defeated Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in Sunday’s closing, extending the watch for an American males’s Grand Slam singles champion to 23 years. Andy Roddick, on the 2003 US Open, stays the final to do it.
For Shelton, who falls to 0-6 lifetime towards Zverev, there was disappointment, but additionally satisfaction — and maybe greater than something, motivation.
“I’m motivated,” Shelton stated. “Dissatisfied with how as we speak went. Proud of how I fought all through the week, two weeks. Excited with the progress that I really feel that I’ve made, however yeah, this one stings one hundred pc.”
Shelton wasn’t glad together with his execution towards Zverev, significantly off the forehand. He felt too many attacking alternatives slipped away and recognized turning into extra deadly from that wing as one of many subsequent steps in his evolution.
That course of, he insists, is way from full.
“I don’t assume I’m anyplace close to the participant that I wish to be,” Shelton stated. “I feel I’m an important competitor. I feel I compete very well on the market on the court docket.”
If the end result damage, the expertise itself solely made Shelton need extra. He stated he loved the magical second of strolling onto Ashe forward of a serious closing and referred to as the sensation addictive.
“Strolling out on that court docket as we speak, there’s nothing prefer it,” he stated. “I’ve by no means felt something like that earlier than. It’s an addicting feeling being in positions like this.”
Shelton has at all times seen himself as a late bloomer, accustomed to chasing gamers forward of him and regularly determining how one can attain their stage. His first Grand Slam closing, even in defeat, is one other stage in that course of.
“I haven’t at all times been profitable the very first time that I’ve been in finals,” he stated. “I feel that it’s an ongoing course of for me.”
After spending current majors watching the latter phases from residence, Shelton lastly skilled what it was prefer to be one of many final two gamers standing.
Now he needs to make it acquainted.
“To win on Sundays, you bought to play very, very excessive stage of nice tennis,” Shelton stated. “Simply obtained to be higher.
“Attempt to hold getting higher,” Shelton stated, “and present up in Australia even stronger than I confirmed up right here.”
