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Coco Gauff gives BBC Sport an insight into her life off the tennis court at Wimbledon.
Coco Gauff gives BBC Sport an insight into her life off the tennis court at Wimbledon.
The secret is the smile.
Ben Shelton has electrified crowds around the world with his flamethrower of a serve, which he could zip like a dart or carve like a master smith with any spin he chooses. But when the American starts cracking his trademark smile, you know he is having fun and embracing the moment. That is the signal that Big-Match Ben is in full flight.
Many tennis players dream just to play in “big matches”. Shelton lives to compete in them. And Big-Match Ben has proven an ability to rise to the moment no matter the occasion. He will hope to do so again on Sunday in the fourth round of Wimbledon against Jannik Sinner.
“He’s one of the guys who has had the most success on tour so far this year as the World No. 1,” Shelton said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me, a great challenge and test — the biggest challenge in tennis playing the top-ranked player in the world.”
Do not expect Shelton to shy away from the challenge of facing the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Ten months ago, they opened their Lexus ATP Head2Head series in Shanghai, where Shelton was trying to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Sinner, already on his unforgettable ascent to the top of the sport, cruised through the first set 6-2. There was a wide gap in level and big-match experience. But Shelton did not mind.
The 2022 NCAA Singles Champion rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) victory against the Italian dynamo. During his on-court interview, Shelton provided valuable insight into his mentality.
“Maybe I am addicted to playing on the big stages,” Shelton said. “I definitely haven’t had a normal upbringing in the tennis world or first year on Tour. It’s kind of been a little backwards, figuring things out as I go.”
[ATP APP]The lefty competed in his first Grand Slam main draw at the 2022 US Open and has advanced to at least the fourth round at three of his eight majors. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal nor Roger Federer did that.
Like Shelton, Sinner and Andy Murray each accomplished the feat three times through eight Slams. Three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka did not make the Round of 16 until his 11th Grand Slam tournament.
Shelton is one of only seven American men to reach the fourth round or better in at least three majors before turning 22. Four of the other six — Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras — climbed to World No. 1.
A big reason Shelton has performed at his best at the Slams — winning 71 per cent of his matches at those events compared to 56 per cent at all tour-level events — is that he is never afraid of the big stage. According to Scott Perelman, who was the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Florida for 11 years and assistant coach for one more, watched Shelton grow up.
Ben played football as a kid and Perelman would watch him fearlessly compete against bigger and older opposition.
“You can tell he had no fear as a youngster. He’s playing against guys twice his size. This is another one of his gifts,” Perelman told ATPTour.com last year. “He embraces the moment of the challenge versus having any sort of hesitation or worry or concern about how big a stage it might be or how big a moment might be. He just certainly seems to enjoy himself in those biggest moments.”
Ahead of his clash against Sinner, Perelman expanded on those thoughts. The coach called Shelton “as good a competitor as you will ever meet”. It does not matter what the game is — Shelton wants to win.
“Benny is fearless under pressure,” Perelman said. “[He] has a large personality. He is the guy that comes into the room and lights it up. He is also the guy that loves to perform in front of large crowds. Benny also understands like the great ones do what it means to rise up in the biggest moments… Pretty good combination.”
It is safe to say that runs in the family. Thirty years ago, Ben’s father and coach, Bryan Shelton, stunned World No. 2 Michael Stich at Wimbledon en route to the fourth round. On Saturday, Bryan sat in Ben’s box watching his son match his SW19 mark.
“I think it’s really cool for us to be able to share this moment together,” Shelton said. “It’s something that I don’t know if we thought that we would be in this position at this point in our lives, but really just grateful for everything that’s happened so far.”
Big Ben into the 4th ✌️ <a href=”https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Wimbledon | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/HpxzWBXJRj
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 6, 2024
When Ben was young, professional tennis was far from his mind. He was constantly around the college teams his father coached and eventually began taking morning lessons from Bryan alongside his sister Emma.
Bryan did not often regale his son with stories of his “glory days” on the ATP Tour, where he climbed as high as No. 55 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The North Star was Bryan’s college team.
“That was kind of I guess how closed off my mind was on how far I could make it in the sport or what was possible,” Shelton said. “So after knowing those guys and growing up around them, being able to attend the University of Florida, that was it for me. That was my dream, what I wanted to do.”
It is impossible to know that based on how comfortable Shelton has proven himself to be at the world’s biggest tournaments. He has been more than a tennis player on the most famous courts in the world — last year’s Tokyo champion has been a conductor.
Shelton works the crowd into the match with timely shotmaking and is never afraid to encourage them to get pumped up. If he plays a great point, you will know it. He is not just a competitor, but a performer.
“When Benny is smiling and having fun he is at his best,” Perelman said.
Shelton will surely take it all in when he walks on No. 1 Court Sunday to face Sinner. The Italian leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 2-1 and Shelton has needed five sets in his first three matches at Wimbledon. But no matter the opponent or obstacle, the American lives for these moments.
“I’m never somebody to be scared going into a match or feel unprepared,” Shelton said. “I’m always confident in my abilities no matter who is on the other side of the net.
“I’m 100 per cent ready to go the distance. If it happens to go five sets again tomorrow, I’ll be ready to go the whole way.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Watch some of the best shots as Novak Djokovic comes from a set down to beat Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the third round at Wimbledon.
British pair Charles Broom and Arthur Fery progress to the second round of the men’s doubles while Lloyd Glasspool reaches the third round on another rainy day at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic was made by Alexei Popyrin to dig deep at a major for the second time this year on Saturday evening at Wimbledon.
Popyrin tested Djokovic with his big-serving, big-hitting game on Centre Court, but the seven-time champion raised his level at key moments to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) third-round triumph and set a meeting against 15th seed Holger Rune.
Djokovic, who also needed four sets to shake off Popyrin at January’s Australian Open, reacted well to dropping the opener in the pair’s third Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings dialled in on serve and during the match became <a rel=”noopener noreferrer” href=”https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/1809695450871521453″ target=”_blank”>just the sixth player to record 1000+ aces at Wimbledon, while his consistency from the baseline was also key to wearing his opponent down.
He’s done it again 🔥
Djokovic takes the win over Popyrin 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3)<a href=”https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Wimbledon | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/eOi016ZZnQ
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 6, 2024
“It was another tough match. I didn’t expect anything less than what we experienced on the court today from Alexei,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “I knew he was going to come into the match with confidence, with a lot of self-belief. He was close to winning that match we played against each other in Australia earlier this year.
“With that serve and powerful forehand, he is dangerous on any surface. I watched him play the first couple of rounds and knew he was in form and he was going to come out on the court believing he could win. That’s how he started, he was the better player for the first set, and then I stepped it up. I think I played a really good second and third, and the fourth really was anybody’s game.”
[ATP APP]The match included an amusing moment as Popyrin served at 1-4, 30/30 in the second set. A huge cheer went up around the All England Club, where many were simultaneously following the England men’s national football team in a Euro 2024 quarter-final penalty shootout against Switzerland. As the crowd suddenly cheered an England win, <a rel=”noopener noreferrer” href=”https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/1809659294154903595″ target=”_blank”>Djokovic mimicked shooting a penalty across the net, while Popyrin jokingly pretended he was the goalie.
“I assumed that it was a penalty shootout between England and Switzerland. It felt like for a set and a half that the crowd really wanted to understand what the score was,” joked Djokovic. “I tried to shoot a penalty. I’m left-footed, but Alexei defended it well.”
There was to be no saving the second set, or indeed the match, for Popyrin. The record 24-time major champion Djokovic quickly levelled proceedings and then rode a break in the opening game to the third set. Although Popyrin rejuvenated his hopes of forcing a decider by holding from 5-5, 0/40 to force a fourth-set tie-break, Djokovic dominated from then on to secure a three-hour, five-minute win.
By reaching the fourth round for the 16th time, Djokovic has tied Jimmy Connors in second place on the Open Era list of most last-16 appearances at Wimbledon. Only record eight-time champion Roger Federer has more (18).
Rune set the Djokovic clash with a 1-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-1 victory against Frenchman Quentin Halys.
The 15th seed was in deep trouble against his big-serving opponent, who was seemingly in control on Court 18. Later in the match due to rain, the clash was moved to No. 1 Court, where the Dane was able to tilt the encounter in his favour.
Rune rallied from two sets down to win for the first time in his career. His five-set record is now 4-3, and 2-1 this year.
The 21-year-old has earned two of the biggest wins of his career against Djokovic, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 3-2. Rune notably upset the Serbian in the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters final.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
Emma Raducanu knows all about qualifiers upsetting the odds. The boot is on the other foot as she faces Lulu Sun for a spot in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson’s fast start to Wimbledon continued on Saturday afternoon, when the Australian duo eased into the third round at the grass-court major.
The 2022 champion Purcell and his partner Thompson overcame Fabrice Martin and Matwe Middelkoop 6-4, 7-5 to make it four sets played, four sets won this week at the All England Club. They won 85 per cent (34/40) of points behind first serves en route to an 86-minute triumph on Court 8.
Purcell and Thompson are chasing their fourth tour-level title of the season this fortnight in London. They triumphed on hard courts in Dallas and Los Cabos in February, before notching a title on clay in Houston in April.
[ATP APP]There was a major upset on Court 8, where Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens defeated second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 6-3, 7-6(4). The German duo will take on Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen or Lloyd Glasspool and Jean-Julien Rojer next.
Other teams to book their third-round spot on Saturday included Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, who beat Romain Arneodo and Sem Verbeek 6-4, 6-4. The top duo in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Team Rankings, Arevalo and Pavic will meet Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul next. The 16th seeds overcame Julian Cash and Robert Galloway 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(10-4).
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
Alex de Minaur has enjoyed the best season of his career and he can make it even better at Wimbledon.
When Lucas Pouille withdrew ahead of their third-round match on Saturday due to an abdominal injury, it put De Minaur in position to break new ground in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
The Australian, who is currently live No. 9, will surge to No. 6 if he wins his fourth-round match against Arthur Fils. That would position him to move to a career-high PIF ATP Ranking (currently No. 7) on 15 July if he is able to maintain that spot.
[ATP APP]Live No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 7 Andrey Rublev and No. 8 Casper Ruud all lost before the third round of The Championships, providing the opening for De Minaur.
Only six Australians in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings (since 1973) have reached a career-high ranking better than No. 6: Lleyton Hewitt (No. 1), John Newcombe (No. 1), Patrick Rafter (No. 1), Ken Rosewall (No. 2), Rod Laver (No. 3) and Pat Cash (No. 4).
PIF ATP Live Rankings (6 July)
| Player | Live Points | Max Points |
| 6) Hubert Hurkacz | 4,105 | – |
| 7) Andrey Rublev | 4,070 | – |
| 8) Casper Ruud | 4,030 | – |
| 9) Alex de Minaur | 3,985 | 5,785 |
| 10) Grigor Dimitrov | 3,770 | 5,570 |
De Minaur is in sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as he tries to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.
The 25-year-old has climbed one spot so far this tournament, passing seventh-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost in the second round to Emil Ruusuvuori.
The Nitto ATP Finals will be played from 10-17 November at Inalpi Arena in Turin.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Vic Seixas, the winner of 15 major titles and a Davis Cup champion, died on July 5 at the age of 100. Seixas, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971, had been the oldest living Hall of Famer.
Fitness, foot speed and superb volleys were the cornerstones of Seixas’ lengthy career. As just one example of his longevity, Seixas played the U.S. National Championships (now the US Open) a record 28 times from 1940 to 1969.
Of Seixas’ 15 major titles, two came in singles, with Seixas winning Wimbledon in 1953 and the U.S. Championships one year later.
[ATP APP]In doubles, Seixas captured five men’s majors — two apiece with Tony Trabert at the U.S. Nationals in 1952 and 1954 (later the US Open) and Roland-Garros (1954 and 1955), as well as one at the Australian Championships alongside Mervyn Rose in ‘52. Seixas also excelled in mixed doubles, earning eight majors — four straight at Wimbledon from 1953-56, a three-peat at the U.S. Nationals from 1953-55 and one triumph at Roland-Garros in 1953. All but one of those mixed doubles titles were won with Doris Hart, the lone exception coming at Wimbledon in 1956, Seixas that year partnering with Shirley Fry.
Davis Cup was a Seixas priority. Compiling an overall record of 38-17 (24-12 in singles, 14-5 in doubles), Seixas played on U.S. teams that reached the Davis Cup final seven straight years between 1951-57. All of these were against the mighty Australians. America’s lone championship run in that stretch came in 1954, Seixas contributing significantly with an opening day singles win over Ken Rosewall and a clinching victory in the doubles with Trabert.
Seixas was born in Philadelphia on 30 August 1923. Raised in a middle-class family, Seixas loved sports and earned high school letters in track, basketball, squash, tennis and baseball. Throughout his youth, his big dream was to play for the Philadelphia Phillies. Of course, Seixas proved more successful at tennis. While still in his teens, Seixas cracked the U.S. Top 10 — a place he’d hold 13 times between 1942 and 1966.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1941, Seixas subsequently spent three years in the military and resumed his studies in 1946. Upon earning his degree in 1949, Seixas spent the better part of the next decade traveling the world on the amateur tennis circuit.
Seixas’ nimble form of athleticism made him a natural on the slick grass that was prevalent in his time. Perhaps indeed, Wimbledon and Seixas were meant for one another. In 1950, in his All England Club debut, Seixas made a surprising run to the semis. Three years later, seeded second, he went the distance. Most impressive was a five-set quarter-final win over Lew Hoad, Seixas squeaking it out 9-7 in the fifth. The semis also took five sets, Seixas taking down an Aussie, Mervyn Rose. In the final, Seixas beat unseeded Kurt Nielsen in three sets.
Seixas’ run to the U.S. Nationals title in 1954 was much less dramatic. Not once was he extended to five sets. Seeded third, Seixas beat Australian Rex Hartwig in the final in four sets. That year, at the age of 31, Seixas also achieved a rare triple at the same major — earning the singles, men’s doubles with Trabert and mixed with Hart. Only twice since has a man done that.
A strong devotion to fitness also helped Seixas enjoy tremendous longevity. Between 1940 and 1969, he played the U.S. Nationals (which became the US Open in 1968) a record 28 times.
Seixas also was tournament referee during the 1971 US Open, as well as a three-time Davis Cup captain. Later, he taught tennis at such notable venues as the Hilton Hotel in New Orleans and the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. Since 1989, Seixas resided north of San Francisco, spending much of his time at The Club at Harbor Point.
Seixas is survived by his daughter, Tori Seixas.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller writes about his experience of getting to know Andy Murray throughout his career.