Former Florida tennis standout and NCAA champion [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] has had a meteoric rise through the professional ranks since leaving Gainesville, coming into the 2024 edition of Wimbledon as a No. 14 seed in the prestigious event.
The 21-year-old opened up the grand slam event with a five-set win over 148th-ranked Italian Mattia Bellucci, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. It was a tough match for Shelton, but he managed to prevail in the end.
“He was playing so well,” said Shelton. “Every ball that I hit big, he was hitting back bigger.”
However, the young star was able to make some changes to accommodate his opponent’s style of play.
“I’m happy with the adjustments I made,” said Shelton. “I tried to play instead of just hit the ball.”
Take a look at highlights from Monday’s match at Wimbledon below.