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Ben Shelton plays top seed Alexander Zverev in a massive clash at the final of the 2026 US Open on Sunday, Sept. 13.
The 23-year-old No. 8 seed has experienced a historic campaign at Flushing Meadows having powered through an incredibly demanding draw to reach the first Grand Slam final of his career.
Shelton also stands on the brink of ending a massive 23-year drought for American men’s tennis, aiming to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick lifted the trophy here in 2003.
What Is Ben Shelton’s Ethnicity?
The 23-year-old tennis star is biracial as his father, Bryan Shelton, is African American, while his mother, Lisa Witsken Shelton, is Caucasian. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Gainesville, Florida.
His father Bryan is a former professional tennis player and one of the most important figures in Ben’s career. Bryan played on the ATP Tour during the 1990s and reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 55 in the world.
After his playing career, he moved into coaching and worked at Georgia Tech and later became the head men’s tennis coach at the University of Florida.
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In 2023, Bryan stepped away from college coaching to focus on coaching his son Ben full-time and has remained an important part of his professional career.
Ben’s mother Lisa Witsken Shelton also comes from a tennis family and was a highly ranked junior player and competed at the collegiate level.
Lisa is the sister of the late professional tennis player Todd Witsken, who reached the top 50 in singles and was ranked as high as No. 4 in doubles.
Ben also has an older sister, Emma Shelton, who played college tennis at the University of Florida. Emma and Ben shared the same tennis environment growing up, and she also played an important role in his development.
Read more Inside Ben Shelton & Trinity Rodman’s Captivating Love Story: Who Made the First Move?
2026 US Open Essentials
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- Novak Djokovic Dealt Bad News After First Round Exit
- American Men Look to End Grand Slam Drought at the US Open
- Top 25 Highest-Paid Tennis Players by Career Earnings
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM.