Before the daily chaos of the current tour, there are moments in tennis history that deserve to be revisited. During Ben Shelton’s electric run to the 2023 US Open Semifinals, I sat down to write him an open letter as a pure writing exercise. Though it stayed in my personal vault back then, the tactical and psychological hurdles of a young player facing the absolute best remain completely timeless.
Here is that letter, exactly as it was written in September 2023:
Dear Ben,
I watched your quarter final match against Big Foe at the US Open. You were very impressive in your second quarter final at the Grand Slam.
I have been following your progress since Western & Southern Open 2022. Each time I watch your match, win or lose, you continue to impress me with not just your shot making but, more importantly, your on-court demeanor.
Before your quarter-final match against Tiafoe began, the IBM match predictor gave you 47% chance against 53 for the Big Foe. The ESPN commentator and the Super Coach Brad Gilbert weighed heavily in favor of your opponent. Though I have utmost respect for Frances, I had my “money” on you before the match began. Please don’t get me wrong, I like Frances as well.
Come Friday, you will be facing the biggest challenge of your young career. You will be playing your first ever Grand Slam semifinal against arguably one of the best in the game, Novak Djokovic. He is in a league of his own. When you face him from across the net, it will be a whole new level. You can not afford any sloppy shots. You can not afford to rush a point. You have to listen to your father. You have to listen to the coach in your father. Don’t go for showmanship. You need neither 140mph serve nor 100mph winners. Play with conviction and controlled aggression; don’t be defensive. You want to avoid the sloppy play of set two and set three.
After being defaulted in 2020 and denied entry into the US in ’21 and ’22, Novak is going to be merciless. He is hungry for his Slam #24. He is not going to give you chances that Frances gave you in the second and the third set. You need a consistent game of set one and set four if you think you have a shred of a chance against Djokovic.
Don’t go into the semi-final match with a defeatist mindset. Don’t think you have nothing to lose. Maybe you don’t. But, with a win against the world’s best, you have a whole lot to win; a whole lot to gain. Besides a berth into the finals of a grand slam, you will gain a hefty paycheck, loads of ranking points, self belief, and respect of your peers and critics alike.
As a fan of the game and yours, I wish you all the best and success in your semifinals on Friday. Go, get ’em, tiger. Go all the way, and make history.
— Written September 2023