American tennis star Ben Shelton is fresh off missing the quarterfinals at the French Open, although he pushed Carlos Alcaraz all the way. Days after bowing out of the second Grand Slam of the year, the big-hitting lefty has shared his thoughts on the fierce rivalry between Alcaraz and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, and how the two have “changed” the game.
Shelton’s comments came days after Alcaraz pipped Sinner in a five-set tiebreak to capture his second straight crown at Roland-Garros. The match, which lasted five hours and 29 minutes, is being recognized as one of the greatest Grand Slam matches of the open era.
Ben Shelton Reveals What He Thought About Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner Epic at French Open
Tuning in to the Tennis Channel for an interview, Ben Shelton confessed his feelings about the latest encounter between Alcaraz and Sinner. Although the American tennis star usually doesn’t watch a lot of tennis on TV, he tuned in for the match as it was heating up for the finale in the fifth set.
“It got to a point where these guys were playing a baseline game; the serve was a non-factor,’ Shelton noted. “They were putting the serve in the box and going to war. It was really entertaining.”
Although he described each point between the duo as “crazy”, Shelton asserted that the tie-breaker “was the most insane.”
View this post on Instagram
“The first 6 or 7 points from Alcaraz — that’s some of the most clutch tennis I’ve seen at 6-all,” the American said.
Ben Shelton Reveals How the Sinner and Alcaraz Rivalry Is Changing Tennis
Although Alcaraz now holds the edge in the matchup, several of their encounters have been of the highest quality, with outcomes being determined by the finest of margins.
Asked how Sinner and Alcaraz’s approach to the game has made other players change their approach to the sport, Shelton said, “The way they play from the ground, especially Sinner, guys are thinking differently about going toe-to-toe with them. I am not a guy who just rallies from the baseline, so I think it’s a whole different matchup playing both of them.
MORE: Andy Murray Doesn’t Want To Coach ‘For a While’
However, the American did note that he has had a lot of chances against the duo in their recent encounters. While Sinner edged him at the Australian Open in a keenly contested three-setter, Alcaraz overcame a stern test from the 22-year-old at the French. Failing to take the chances against the duo, Shelton has suggested, “stung” him.
“I’ve had a lot of chances recently,” Shelton said. “Like sets, I didn’t close out, set points on my racket.”
“They play the clutch points, the big points really, really well. And they make you earn it. Once these guys get going, they can be a runaway train.”
Shelton trails both in head-to-head contests. He is 0-3 against Alcaraz and 1-5 against Sinner.
