Ben Shelton (Image credit: Reuters)
NEW YORK CITY: For Ben Shelton, New York has become a place of firsts.On Sunday, the 23-year-old will become the first Black man to play in the US Open final since 1972, while chasing the first title in Queens by an American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 and by a Black man since Arthur Ashe in 1968. All this while contesting his maiden Grand Slam final.It is a weighty moment, but Shelton is careful in trying not to let the occasion become bigger than the tennis.“I think for me I got great people around me that keep me grounded and focused and humble.”There is a difference, though, between downplaying a moment and taking it lightly.“These moments I want to cherish, I don’t want to take lightly. But at the same time, it’s very business-like the way I’ve been going about it.”Shelton’s father, his coach and former tour pro Bryan Shelton, made history in 1991 when he became the first Black American man to win an ATP Tour title after Ashe in 1978.The business-like approach is a sign of how much Shelton has changed.The explosive left-hander who burst onto the Tour with a huge serve, a big forehand and a willingness to play on instinct has become more deliberate about everything that surrounds his tennis.“It’s emotions. It’s the way that I train. It’s how I practice. It’s then the way that I compete, how focused can I stay. It’s sleeping habits, eating habits, everything,” Shelton said.He has always considered himself a hard worker. The difference now, he says, lies in the details.“I’m the most committed that I’ve ever been to my tennis career, to being the very best version of myself,” Shelton said.That growth has been tested repeatedly in New York.He was 0-1 in head-to-head clashes against Stefanos Tsitsipas, 0-3 against Carlos Alcaraz and had lost to Frances Tiafoe in five sets the last time they played on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Yet he found a way through each of them, overturning the sort of numbers that once whispered that the odds were against him.Now there is another problem to solve.Top-seeded Alexander Zverev leads their head-to-head 5-0 head, with Shelton having taken no more than a set off Zverev in five meetings.“I’m a different player. I feel like I have so many more tools. I am comfortable in my own skin, and I know what it takes for me to be playing top-level tennis.”“Not that I’m going to come out every day and everything is going to be perfect and clicking, but I think that’s why our sport is so difficult and the beauty of our sport.”Shelton is not pretending the moment is ordinary. He simply refuses to let it overwhelm him.“I’m looking forward to the challenge, being able to problem-solve on Sunday,” he said. “I know what I’m up against, and I’m also the most confident I’ve ever been in my game.”Like his celebratory telephone hand signal says, Shelton is dialled in.