“It is funny to think about when you say it.”
Until Monday, Ben Shelton was in the remarkable position of being a Top 40 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings who had never competed on red clay. Having made his bow on the surface at this week’s Millennium Estoril Open, the early signs for the #NextGenATP American have been good.
After gaining his first taste of competitive red-clay action on Monday in a doubles defeat alongside his former University of Florida Gators teammate Duarte Vale, Shelton returned on Tuesday to down Constant Lestienne in straight sets at the ATP 250 and make a winning start to his singles career on the red dirt.
“For sure, I was a bit nervous today,” Shelton told ATPTour.com after his 7-5, 7-5 win against the Frenchman. “Maybe more so than my last few matches or tournaments just because I wasn’t sure how things were going to go. It was a good nervous, it helped me focus and lock in. I always enjoy playing matches when I have a little bit of nerves.”
The American played on green clay occasionally growing up and competed at two ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments on that surface in 2021. That is the extent of his clay-court history, however, and he notes that certain differences between the red and green varieties still make his Estoril odyssey a fundamentally new experience.
“It wasn’t the surface I played on the most [growing up] but there were definitely some tournaments when I got to play on green clay,” said Shelton. “Once I got to college, there weren’t many opportunities to play on green clay because all the matches we play in college are on hard courts.
“I think the red clay is a little bit softer [than green]. I think the bounces are a little bit better. I honestly like playing on the red clay a bit more. Obviously, my game has evolved since the last time I played on green clay so that could also be one of the factors. I’ve really enjoyed so far this week playing on the red clay. I think it plays a little bit truer and obviously it’s really well kept here in Portugal.”
Perhaps it was unlikely that being confronted by a completely new surface would faze the 20-year-old. He reached the quarter-finals on debut at January’s Australian Open, during his first trip outside the United States, and has charged to a career-high No. 39 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings despite only having made his tour-level debut last July.
Shelton therefore wants to largely apply the same approach to his upcoming clay-court schedule that has brought him such success on hard courts.
“I’d say that my preparation has been pretty similar in terms of how many days I got here before the tournament, what kind of practices I’m doing,” said Shelton. “[I have done] a little bit more strategic planning with my coach about how I want to play on this surface because obviously it’s not something we’ve had to talk about before.
“I haven’t thought about [not having played on clay] much. I’m really focused on my development right now, trying to get better in each match, each day, and try to improve my game. I’m not thinking about the numbers or the rankings or what I’ve done on what surface so far.
“I think my serve is really effective on this surface with the way it bounces. And with my willingness to come to the net, I think it will be a good combo for me to get a lot of easier points.”
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Just how quickly Shelton has acclimatised to the Estoril clay will be tested on Thursday in a blockbuster second-round clash against former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem. The Austrian has won 10 of his 17 tour-level titles on the surface and is a two-time finalist at the clay-court Grand Slam, Roland Garros.
Yet regardless of how Thursday’s showdown with Thiem goes, Shelton believes he has nothing to fear from an unfamiliar surface. Like much of the 20-year-old’s 2023, it is just another new experience to be enjoyed.
“It’s not challenging,” said Shelton. “I’m really enjoying seeing Portugal for the first time. The conditions are really easy here. It’s easy to get around, the beaches are beautiful... I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”
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