Ben Shelton Didn’t Get Here Alone

“It’s become a really good situation where he doesn’t even have to tell me things and I know what he’s thinking or he knows what I’m thinking,” said Ben Shelton of his father. Shelton is known for his distinct personality, his resilience on the court, and his monster serve. All of these factors combined to make him one of the world’s most beloved tennis players. 

At the 2026 US Open, Ben Shelton became the first African American man to reach the finals since US Open icon Arthur Ashe in 1972. Ben’s success isn’t just a miracle, and it is definitely a milestone for American tennis, especially amongst African Americans. His rise helps us understand the support behind an elite player, but also how in the modern era of tennis, players are steadily breaking through the barriers that previously constrained them from playing tennis and stepping into the professional world.

The significance of Ben’s story extends beyond his own career. For children from underrepresented backgrounds in tennis, his success makes a place in the professional world of tennis more achievable. However, seeing a person succeed and having the support to actually reach their full potential are two different things. Ben’s family story not only gives people hope, but also shows you that behind every great achievement is a sacrifice.

The story starts with Ben’s grandmother, Regina Ann Shelton. After his semifinal win, Ben told the crowd, “She’s the reason he [Bryan Shelton] was able to play tennis. Without her, there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. This one is for her.” Regina’s own tennis journey began not far from Arthur Ashe Stadium, being born in Brooklyn and graduating from Bronx’s Morris High School. She later settled in Huntsville, Alabama where she took up tennis as an adult through the city’s Parks and Recreation program where she signed her children up for the community tennis clinics. 

“Moms are special,” Bryan said after the match. “Just a special lady who gave her kids opportunities to do the things they were passionate about. Bryan’s parents, especially his mother, encouraged him to pursue their passions, even though the family faced financial constraints. These opportunities did not come easily, Bryan described his family as “lower-middle class probably and not a lot of money,” but said, “My mom just made the sacrifices to make it happen.” 

Due to the sacrifices Regina made, Bryan was able to build a successful tennis career. In college, Bryan won the national singles tournament, was the all-time doubles win leader in his college, became the first African American to win an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles title since Arthur Ashe, and had a career-high rank of no. 55 in singles and no. 52 in doubles. These accomplishments by Bryan are even more impressive when you take into account the sport’s history. For decades, systematic racial segregation in the United States made it incredibly difficult for African Americans to play in tennis clubs and tournaments. 

Now that there are no longer restrictions limiting who can play tennis in the United States, the sport has become accessible to more than just a small group of people, resulting in notable African American players like Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Francis Tiafoe, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams—all of whom have won multiple ATP tour titles. However, the success of African American athletes in tennis certainly does not mean that the barriers described in this history have disappeared. Many children just don’t believe they can succeed in tennis, and many more are restrained by the financial burden of playing tennis. Ben’s story highlights the sacrifices that his family had to make, and the support throughout his life, especially with his dad’s ability to coach tennis. 

Even though Bryan’s tennis career was impressive, his coaching career was even more notable. After Bryan retired from professional tennis, he became a coach for Georgia Tech from 2000 to 2012, winning the 2007 NCAA Division I tennis title and 2007 NCAA Tennis Coach of the Year.  

After concluding that he had run his course at Georgia Tech, he moved his coaching career to the Florida Gators. Ben then decided that he would commit to the Florida Gators, where his father was already coaching. With the Gators, Bryan made history as a college tennis coach. From 2012 to 2023, he led the Gators to the first NCAA championship in male tennis in school history, and that same year, became the first coach in NCAA history to win the NCAA tennis championship on both the men’s and women’s side. Bryan and Ben became the first father-son duo to win an NCAA championship in college, showing how powerful the bond and the chemistry was between them. Bryan’s experiences in college as a head coach would later allow him to utilize his experience and coach Ben later in his professional career.   

However, Bryan wasn’t the only person that played tennis in the family. Ben’s mother, Lisa Witsken Shelton, was also a top ranked junior tennis player. Even though she never played at a professional or collegiate level, she was still known for being one of the best players on an elite junior tennis circuit. To add on, her brother, Todd Witsken, was a professional tennis player who had a career high rank of no. 4 in doubles and no. 43 in singles.

The most important way that Lisa contributed to Ben’s career might be convincing him to switch from American football to tennis. According to the Shelton family, Ben was interested in team sports like football and basketball until the age of 12. However, Lisa, worried about Ben getting injured, asked him to give tennis a serious try. Aided by his father’s professional coaching abilities, Ben was able to improve rapidly as a tennis player. Ben later admits that being a quarterback in football allowed him to develop the monster serve that he frequently delivers during matches.

Ben’s rise to fame raises an important question regarding the future of tennis: how will children from underrepresented backgrounds in tennis use Ben’s experience to find success themselves? Seeing an African American player achieve a Grand Slam, on the biggest stage in tennis, could make playing tennis and going professional a more attainable goal. 

Ben is one of the leaders of this new era of tennis, where the demographics of tennis players are becoming more diverse. However, all of this didn’t just happen overnight. His grandmother made sacrifices so that his father could play tennis. His father played and coached tennis, becoming Ben’s coach when Ben turned professional. And finally, his mother persuaded him to move away from American football. Ben Shelton didn’t become a champion just because of pure talent. It was because of all the sacrifices and effort the Shelton family put in to give the world one of the best American tennis players ever. All these sacrifices have paved the way for kids from underrepresented backgrounds to experience and realize how beautiful the sport of tennis really is.