As Ben Shelton plays in his first Wimbledon quarterfinals, he is grateful for his dad Bryan Shelton.
Bryan, who serves as his son’s coach, is a former pro tennis player who reached the Wimbledon round of 16 back in 1994. Shelton said his dad is his biggest inspiration after winning his round of 16 match earlier this week. “He was in the Round of 16 here, 31 years ago? Give or take. He was a serve and volleyer... He'd like to see me coming forward a little bit more than I am, but my argument is that I think I'm better than him from the baseline.” Ben added, “He inspires the way I'm playing on grass.”
Bryan Shelton at Wimbledon, 1994. Bob Martin - Getty ImagesBryan left his job as the coach of the University of Florida men’s tennis team to coach his son full-time on tour. “Any player-coach relationship has to be delicate, and it has to be even more delicate when it's also a father-son relationship. My dad does a great job balancing the two and he does a great job knowing when to put on the coach hat, and when to put on the dad hat,” Ben told T&C last year.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rle4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R15e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeHe added, “It's really important in this type of relationship that I really respect him as a coach, and have confidence in him as a coach, because I don't just see it as my dad telling me what to do when I'm out there on the court. I see it as a world class, high level coach giving me advice.”
L-R: Bryan Shelton, Lisa Shelton, Trinity Rodman, and Emma Shelton. Tim Clayton - Getty ImagesIt’s a family affair for the Sheltons at Wimbledon this week, with Ben asking Morgan Stanley, his sister Emma’s employer, to give her the week off work so she could continue attending his matches. Also a constant presence in Ben Shelton’s player’s box include his mom, Lisa, and his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman.
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