Shifting to Ben Shelton: How a sort phrase and a scarf received over younger Gabe | ATP Tour

Ben Shelton

Shifting to Shelton: How a sort phrase and a scarf received over younger Gabe

American gave fan his headband after R2 win

August 16, 2024

Has Ben Shelton discovered his latest and largest fan?

When the 21-year-old American walked onto court docket to face Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Thursday on the Cincinnati Open, he obtained nearly all of assist at his dwelling occasion.

Nevertheless, there was one younger boy, Gabriel Inexperienced, who was cheering loudly for Etcheverry and couldn’t cover his disappointment on the Argentine’s three-set defeat. After the match, Shelton discovered Gabriel within the crowd on the Lindner Household Tennis Heart, the place he chatted with the teen earlier than giving him his headband.

Ben’s latest fan likes his headband VERY MUCH👌@BenShelton #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/OKdqcVqEjf

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024

A day later and Gabriel was courtside once more, however this time sporting Shelton’s headband and loudly supporting the twelfth seed, who defeated Fabian Marozsan to achieve the quarter-finals on Friday.

“He was going at me yesterday,” Shelton stated when requested about Gabriel, who was born in Mexico and is coached by an Argentine. “I used to be taking part in his man Etcheverry. I heard him the entire match and after the match he appeared fairly upset and I went as much as him and stated, ‘I’ve lots of respect in your cheering as a result of once I was a bit of child and watching my dad’s groups faculty matches, that was me’.

“I feel that’s the place the love from the sport begins. So it’s actually cool to see issues like that from children at such a younger age. I went over and gave him a scarf and I gained a fan yesterday, so perhaps we are going to see him out right here someday.”

Shelton will play third seed Alexander Zverev within the quarter-finals and can hope to see Gabriel courtside as soon as once more.