Ben Shelton is an American tennis player known not only for his booming serve and energetic playing style, but also for his devout Christian faith. After winning the 2025 Canadian Open (National Bank Open), Shelton gave an emotional speech saying, “I want to thank God. I feel so blessed to have opportunities like this”.
Quick Profile: Ben Shelton
| Full Name | Benjamin Todd Shelton |
| Date of Birth | October 9, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Religion | Christian |
What religion is Ben Shelton?
Ben Shelton is a practicing Christian just as his fellow tennis pro Carlos Alcaraz . His faith is evident in the way he openly discusses God and gratitude in public. As noted, his social media profile uses a cross emoji, and he has spoken repeatedly about the importance of God in his life.
In press interviews, Shelton has repeatedly thanked God after victories and emphasized that being “grateful” and keeping “God first” is central to him. For instance, in a 2025 interview he said, “It’s tough, always gotta be grateful, keep God first…” and called himself “really very privileged” because of how blessed he feels. In sum, all indications from his public statements and social media are that Shelton is a committed Christian who regularly expresses gratitude to God.
Early Life
Benjamin “Ben” Shelton was born in Atlanta, Georgia on October 9, 2002. He grew up in a tennis family: his father, Bryan Shelton, was a former ATP player and college coach, and his mother, Lisa Witsken Shelton, was a top junior player. His parents married in 1999 and had two children: a daughter, Emma (born 2001), and Ben in 2002. The family eventually moved to Gainesville, Florida, where Bryan Shelton became the head coach of the University of Florida men’s tennis team. Ben attended Buchholz High School in Gainesville, playing both football and tennis. In fact, he initially focused on American football and only began playing tennis regularly around age 11. Once he committed to tennis, he quickly improved, crediting his father’s coaching and the competitive college atmosphere for his development.
Career Highlights
Shelton made a rapid ascent in tennis. He played two years at the University of Florida, where he helped the Gators win a team national title and then won the NCAA men’s singles championship in 2022. After capturing the NCAA crown, he turned professional later that summer.
By 2023 Shelton was making waves on the ATP Tour. In October 2023 he won his first ATP title at the Japan Open in Tokyo, defeating Aslan Karatsev in the final. He was only 21 at the time, and this victory propelled his ranking into the top 15 (he jumped to world No. 15). Shortly after, at the 2023 U.S. Open, Shelton reached his first Grand Slam semifinal by beating Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. At age 20 he became the youngest American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since Michael Chang in 1992. He eventually lost to Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the tournament.
In 2024 Shelton continued to progress. He won his first clay-court title at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston (April 2024). That same month he also became the No. 1 ranked American player for the first time, surpassing countryman Taylor Fritz. This made him the youngest American to hold the No. 1 ranking since Andy Roddick in 2004.
The breakthrough really came in 2025. Shelton reached the semifinals of the Australian Open (January 2025), where he lost to defending champion Jannik Sinner. In August 2025 he won the Canadian Open (National Bank Open) in Toronto, his first Masters 1000 title – becoming the first American man to win that event since Andy Roddick in 2004. That victory lifted him to a career-high world ranking of No. 6. Later in 2025 he made his first Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance, defeating Lorenzo Sonego in the Round of 16. In short order, by late 2025 Shelton had established himself as one of the top American players, with a Grand Slam semifinal to his credit and multiple tour titles on hard and clay courts.
Personal Life
Shelton comes from a tight-knit family with deep tennis roots. He is the son of Bryan and Lisa Shelton, who both played competitive tennis. His older sister, Emma Shelton, also played college tennis at South Carolina and then at Florida while their father was coach. During Shelton’s matches, it’s common to see his family in the stands. Notably, after a Wimbledon win in 2025 he shouted out, “My parents are here. My girlfriend’s here. My sister’s here”.
In March 2025 Shelton began dating U.S. soccer star Trinity Rodman. Rodman, a forward for the U.S. Women’s National Team, is also the daughter of basketball Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman. The couple have made public appearances together at tennis tournaments and share supportive messages on social media.
Shelton is also known for his engaging, confident on-court personality (he used to play high school football, which helps explain his chest-thumping celebrations). Outside tennis, he has interests typical of many college-educated athletes: he studied finance while at Florida and has spoken of an interest in business and financial matters. But his primary focus remains tennis.
Awards and Honors
- 2022 NCAA Singles Champion (University of Florida): Shelton won the NCAA men’s singles title as a sophomore, becoming the fourth player in Florida history to do so.
- 2022 SEC Player of the Year: As a freshman/sophomore for Florida, Shelton was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and earned All-SEC first team honors.
- 2022 ITA National Champion: He won the ITA All-American singles championship (a top U.S. college tournament) in 2022, the first Florida Gator ever to do so.
- Youngest American US Open Semifinalist since 1992: At age 20, Shelton reached the 2023 U.S. Open semifinals, the youngest U.S. man to do so since Michael Chang.
- Youngest American Masters 1000 Champion since 2004: By winning the 2025 Canadian Open, Shelton was the first American man since Andy Roddick (in 2004) to win that level of event.
- American No. 1 (April 2024): Shelton briefly became the top-ranked U.S. men’s player and, at age 21, was the youngest American to hold that distinction since Roddick in 2004. He is also only the third American left-hander ever to be world No. 1 (joining Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe).
Trivia
- Shelton has one of the fastest serves in the game. At the 2023 U.S. Open, he unleashed the fastest serve of the tournament at 149 mph.
- Shelton is known for an exuberant “chest pump” goal-line stutter-step celebration. This move became famous when Novak Djokovic imitated it during the 2023 U.S. Open semifinal against Shelton.
- As a child, Shelton prioritized American football over tennis. He has said he didn’t plan to play tennis at all when he was young, and only switched focus around age 11.
- Shelton considers Roger Federer his tennis idol, and in fact signed with Federer’s shoe/apparel company (On) for his kit. He grew up admiring Federer’s game and now emulates aspects of it.
- Being a powerful left-handed player has made Shelton somewhat unique. He is just the third American left-hander ever to attain ATP world No. 1, after legends Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe.
