Rafael Nadal's advice helped Ben Shelton reach US Open final

Ben Shelton's coach and father, Bryan Shelton, sought advice from Rafael Nadal after a tough loss in Cincinnati, a conversation that helped shape the American's path to the US Open final. Shelton will face Alexander Zverev for the title, having beaten Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals.

Bryan Shelton revealed the discussion in a press conference after his son's semi-final victory. He explained that he called Nadal a couple of days after Ben Shelton lost his opening match in Cincinnati to Jaime Faria, a defeat that followed his title defense at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

Nadal's lesson on consolidating success

According to Bryan Shelton, Nadal emphasized the difficulty of following a tournament win with another strong performance. "Rafa was like you've got to be able to get through that first one and have the day off and then be able to get your best tennis again the next week," Shelton recounted. He described it as a key lesson for his son on the need to bounce back from good results with the same resilience required after a defeat.

"So we talked about him beating Carlos [Alcaraz in the quarter-finals] and how important it's going to be that this one is going to be even tougher tonight to bounce back after that," Bryan Shelton said. He shared their team mantra: "don't celebrate until you separate, so you've got to win the next match, you've got to consolidate it."

Transforming a return game weakness

A major factor in Ben Shelton's semi-final win was his performance on return. He won 39% of his return points against Frances Tiafoe, who won 29%. Bryan Shelton explained how they have worked to turn what was once a clear weakness into a growing strength.

"Ben came onto the tour, everything happened so fast and his game wasn't fully formed and still isn't," said the coach. "The return was something that was a weakness." He detailed the technical improvements, noting his son now understands how to adjust his positioning based on the serve and the court side.

Bryan Shelton, who still practices with Ben, said the player gets extensive repetition. "A lot of days 400, 500 serves that I'm serving to him, all kind of different serves," he explained. He described the progress as gradual, saying, "He's like a tortoise, over time he gets better and better."

The final challenge against Zverev

Shelton's improved return will be tested severely in the final against Alexander Zverev. The German advanced by beating Karen Khachanov in his semi-final and holds a perfect 5-0 record in previous matches against the American. Zverev is known for his powerful serve, setting the stage for a clash where Shelton's recent work on returns faces its ultimate examination.