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Ben Shelton’s meteoric ascent in the ranks of professional tennis has garnered a lot of attention for his strong serve, aggressive game and personality. However, there is a father behind the American star who made a big career change to support his son to play at the highest level.
Before taking on the full-time coaching role with Ben, Bryan Shelton was already a very accomplished player. He climbed to No. 55 in the ATP rankings, claimed two ATP singles titles, and went on to develop a successful coaching career in college.
The greatest sacrifice he made in his career was in 2023.
Bryan Shelton Left Florida to Coach His Son Ben Shelton
Bryan was an 11-year coach at the University of Florida, where he was one of the most successful coaches in college tennis history.
He coached the Gators to the 2021 NCAA men’s team title, and Ben was a member of that championship team before winning the NCAA singles title in 2022.
However, after Ben fully embraced the ATP Tour, Bryan eventually came to the conclusion that his job had to change. In June 2023, he stepped down as Florida’s head coach and became Ben’s full-time traveling coach.
The transition was a departure from a job in which he had built a reputation as one of the top college coaches in the country.
Bryan also led Georgia Tech to a 2007 NCAA championship as the women’s coach, making him the only tennis coach to win both a men’s and women’s NCAA team title.
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The Pressure of Being Ben Shelton’s Father and Coach
Bryan’s sacrifice was not just to leave Florida. It also involved the tough task of coaching his own son on the professional tour every day.
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Bryan also confessed to not making his own ceiling Ben’s ceiling. He had already sensed Ben’s talent early in his career. Bryan said, “Maybe his way is the right way.”
Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton’s dad) played professional tennis. His biggest lesson coaching his son?
Don’t make your ceiling his ceiling.
“Maybe his way is the right way.”
Every parent and coach needs to hear this. pic.twitter.com/EvnvvuimAA
— Tennis Insider Club (@tennisinsidercl) September 7, 2026
He has acknowledged that it can be difficult to juggle the two positions. Bryan and Ben intentionally keep their tennis and family lives separate, with coaching conversations mostly taking place on the court and then returning to a regular father-son dynamic afterwards.
Bryan also had the frustration of not being able to see some of Ben’s early professional successes since he was still coaching Florida. Veteran coach Dean Goldfine accompanied Ben to the Australian Open 2023 quarter-finals. Bryan later admitted it was tough to miss that mark.
But since Bryan has been his full-time coach, he’s been with Ben through some of his biggest moments. That includes Ben’s 2026 US Open quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
Bryan Shelton’s move out of Florida was a big career move. It was another chapter in a father-son relationship that has influenced Ben’s career.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 10:41 AM.