When you are competing in the era of dominant, future-GOAT talents like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, fighting your way to the top tier can be incredibly frustrating. But instead of feeling overshadowed, thinking you are still looking up at them, Ben Shelton believes that chasing them is exactly what his career needs right now.
Ben Shelton Admits Chasing Sinner and Alcaraz ‘Motivates’ Him Every Day
Once a college standout, Shelton has since risen to the top tier, earning a career-high world No. 5 ranking. But according to the American No. 1, having clear targets ahead prevents him from getting comfortable.
“It’s an amazing challenge,” Shelton said in a recent interview with Tennis.com. “A few years ago, I would never have thought that I would be a Top 10 player in the world with a career-high No. 5. It’s always great for me to have people out in front, who are doing better than me to be able to chase after something.”
Knowing that Sinner and Alcaraz are continually raising the bar forces Shelton to push better. “It motivates me every day,” he noted. “I am looking forward to continuing to improve my game and catch up with those guys.”
Just by looking at the numbers, we can see how wide the gulf has become between the Sinner-Alcaraz duopoly and the rest of the tour. While Sinner and Alcaraz have scored 13,350 and 13,240 points in the ATP ranking, Zverev, the world No. 3, has 5,555. That’s followed by Novak Djokovic, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Shelton.
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It has clearly become a two-man race. Over the last two years, Sinner and Alcaraz have combined to win the last nine Grand Slam titles and more than a dozen Masters 1000 shields. That forces the rest of the tour to exhaust themselves grinding out wins at ATP 250 and 500 events just to maintain their rankings. So, Shelton can draw inspiration from them, but it doesn’t mean he is one lucky tournament away from catching the leaders.
Currently, Shelton is competing in the BMW Open in Munich as he prepares for the upcoming Mutua Madrid Open. Historically, the red clay hasn’t been the most natural fit for his hard-court-focused style, but the world No. 6 is working to adjust his footwork.
Meanwhile, after defeating Alcaraz in a spectacular final at the Monte-Carlo Masters (7-6, 6-3), the world No. 1 Sinner is set to skip Barcelona. Alcaraz is already back on the court today, April 14, competing against Otto Virtanen. He aims to play in Madrid and Rome before his French Open title defense begins in Paris on May 24.
