Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev have both arrived at Wimbledon and begun their preparations for the Major under the watchful eye of their fathers, who also serve as the coaches for the ATP stars. After crossing paths at the All England Club, the duo stirred a debate about a potential doubles showdown, which sparked hilarity.
Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev Hilariously Debate Father-Son Doubles Match at Wimbledon
Fresh off their deep runs at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Shelton and Zverev will be eager to carry their momentum into the grass-court Major. Ahead of their opening matches, the duo ran into each other at SW19 and exchanged a friendly greeting.
During the interaction, Shelton posed a hypothetical question, asking who would come out on top if they teamed up with their respective fathers in a doubles battle.
“Hey Sascha. Me and my dad in doubles against you and your dad right now. Who wins?” the American asked.
Despite training with his father at the time, Zverev wasted no time in backing Team Shelton to win, joking that Bryan Shelton’s physique would give them an edge while taking a jab at his own dad.
“You and your dad. 100% you and your dad. Your dad is like more in shape than we are. Look at my dad, he’s just one big shape,” Zverev said.
Shelton playfully chided the world No. 3 for going a little too far with his quip, while his father, Bryan, joined in the banter by shouting some humorous advice to Zverev’s dad.
“You gotta stop, bro. You didn’t have to go that far dude!” Shelton said.
“Give him one of these please,” Bryan Shelton said while miming a punch.
View this post on Instagram
No. 4 seed Shelton heads into Wimbledon with plenty of momentum after promising results during the grass swing. He captured the BOSS Open title by defeating Taylor Fritz in the final before reaching the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event in Halle, where Fritz avenged his loss in their blockbuster rematch.
Zverev also fell short against Fritz in the semifinals in Halle, which marked his lone preparatory tournament on grass. However, the German will be brimming with confidence at SW19 after winning his maiden Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open.
MORE: Maria Sakkari Rejects ‘Baseless’ Jannik Sinner Claim Sparked by Ben Shelton’s Major Career Move
Ben Shelton will kick off his Wimbledon campaign against qualifier Otto Virtanen, while No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev is set to face Alexander Blockx. Featuring in the same half of the draw, Shelton and Zverev could meet in the semifinals of the grass-court Major if they both reach the final four.
