Ben Shelton is one of the most exciting young players on tour, and many view him as the next great American. I’m similarly high on Shelton’s game, but I still think he needs some seasoning. I believe his Grand Slam window will open after the 2024 season, and a big part of that is that Shelton simply needs to play more matches. He is not very experienced and relies heavily on his remarkable talent. It gives him a chance in any match he plays, but Shelton was one of my players to fade in my 2024 Australian Open preview, and his meeting with Robert Bautista Agut could spell trouble.
Bautista Agut is a 35-year-old veteran that has won 11 tournaments throughout his career. And while he’s no longer the player he once was, he still has something left in the tank. Bautista Agut is a solid baseliner and hits his spots on his serve, so he won’t make things easy on Shelton. We also just saw the American lose to Taro Daniel in the semifinals in Auckland, and that was a match in which Shelton was spraying unforced errors. Because of how talented he is, Shelton occasionally makes things tougher on himself by going for the kill shot. He'd be wise to to ease up a little, grind points out and attack when there's an opening.