Ben Shelton’s 2025 season is moving at full speed, and the young American is showing no signs of slowing down. He recently broke into the ATP top 10 after reaching his first grass-court semifinal at the Boss Open. Earlier this year, he made his second Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open and followed it up with a solid fourth-round run at Roland Garros. That’s a serious upward trend for a player still carving out his place on tour. But Shelton hasn’t done it alone; his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, has been right beside him every step of the way. Even clashing with Novak Djokovic for him. Let’s find out more about him!
Bryan Shelton is no stranger to the sport. A former professional tennis player himself, he played for Georgia Tech and graduated in 1989. After a stint on the ATP Tour, where he reached a career-high ranking of No. 55, Bryan retired in 1997 and turned to coaching.
Soon after, he returned to his alma mater to lead the Georgia Tech women’s team from 1999 to 2012. Then he took over the University of Florida men’s team in 2012 and coached there until 2023. Along the way, he made history as the first coach to win both a Division I NCAA women’s and men’s national championship.
Ben also played college tennis at Florida, with his father as his coach. The duo’s dynamic clearly worked well, but Bryan eventually stepped down from his coaching post to guide his son full-time on the pro circuit. “Any player-coach relationship has to be delicate, and it has to be even more delicate when it’s also a father-son relationship,” Ben told T&C last year. “My dad does a great job balancing the two and he does a great job knowing when to put on the coach hat, and when to put on the dad hat.”
But things haven’t always been smooth on the professional stage. Back when the 22-year-old made his breakout in 2023, his clash with Novak Djokovic at the US Open stirred the pot a bit. And his father also got involved. Let’s find out what happened!
When Ben Shelton’s father called out Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets in the semifinal and ended the match with a very pointed celebration. He mimicked Shelton’s “dialed in” phone gesture. After a big win, he lifts his hand to his ear like a phone, then slams it down to “hang up.” The American had first used during his quarterfinal win over Frances Tiafoe.
Reactions poured in immediately. Some fans and players loved it. Others weren’t impressed with Djokovic’s gesture toward an unseeded young player.
Among them was Bryan Shelton. “He wants to be loved so much, Novak …” Bryan told GQ. “He wanted to mock Ben at the end. It wasn’t something he was doing just to copy Ben. It was to mock him. And that’s too bad, for that to come from such a great champion.”
Ben also commented on the celebration but his response was much more ‘dialled’ down. “I think if you win the match you deserve to do whatever you want,” he said in his post-match press conference. “You know, as a kid growing up, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so … that’s all I have to say about that.”
Djokovic had later admitted that he did so to humble Ben. In his press conference, he said, “Regarding Ben Shelton, it was a reaction against him, on the fact that he did not behave correctly, with respect on the court, and also before the match.” The Serbian also added, “I respect him and his team. But if someone places themselves in the ‘unsportsmanlike’ zone, I react.”
Since then, the two haven’t met again on court. But with Wimbledon just around the corner, that could change very soon. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is already in London and practicing at the All England Club. Shelton, meanwhile, is on his way there after a surprise loss to Learner Tien at the Mallorca Open.
If the draw aligns just right, maybe Wimbledon could serve up a rematch. Could Centre Court witness the next chapter of the Shelton-Djokovic showdown? Who will you be supporting?
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