Atlanta Open: Shelton wins ATP debut match, confirms U.S. Open wild card

University of Florida star and 2022 NCAA singles champion Ben Shelton won his ATP tour match debut in the first round of the Atlanta Open.

Ben Shelton, son of University of Florida tennis coach Bryan Shelton, currently has a perfect ATP record. The 19-year old incoming junior made his ATP tour debut as a wild card on Tuesday at the Atlanta Open, where he dispatched qualifier Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-2, 7-5.

For the most part, the teen was poised and calm. He had a small lapse serving at 4-3 in the second to allow Ramanathan back in the match, but Shelton broke back at 5-5 and served out the match without additional difficulty.

Following his victory, Shelton confirmed that he got word from the USTA that he will be receiving a main draw wild card for the U.S. Open as a reward for being the NCAA singles champion.

“Yeah, I believe I was told a week or two ago,” he said.

Shelton is still is still in college Florida, but his future as a student is uncertain.

“I’m not sure”, he hedged when asked if he considered going pro. “I think that will definitely be a talk later in the summer with my parents and my team. I think we’ll make a decision based on where my development is.”

Up next for Shelton is six-time Atlanta Open champion John Isner, whom he will meet in the second round on Thursday.

“It’ll be fun,” the rising junior said of the matchup with Isner, a college tennis legend in his own right. “He’s a nice guy….one of the older Americans, who’s really nice. He [has given] me some nice words.”