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Who is Ben Shelton? At only 20 years old, the Georgia born tennis pro has become the one to watch at the last U.S. Open, 2023 proving so far to be his year since going pro in 2022. After defeating American pro Frances Tiafoe in a crushing 6 – 3 during the final set, Shelton advances to the semifinals, making him the youngest American man to reach a U.S. Open semifinal since Andy Roddick in 2003. Even better, he’s doing it in style.
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At New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, Shelton took to the court in a black and pink dip-dyed set that couldn’t have felt more on brand for the Summer. The “Barbenheimer” look, designed and produced by Swiss athletic brand On, gave the the same dualities in color that style critics have been obsessing over for 2023. The double premier of Barbie and the WWII biopic Oppenheimer created a frenzy amongst fans that resulted in a clash of color and fashion: Barbie‘s pink wonderland vs Oppenheimer‘s dark 40s tailoring.
The air was hot, heavey, and still, the stadium filled with onlookers waiting to glimpse the match. A perfect environment to put On’s promise for lightweight and sweat-wicking materials to the test. The match resulted in back-to-back punches between Shelton and Tiafoe. Tiafoe’s history of wins should have proved favorable odds, yet Shelton took the first and third sets, finaling the win in the end.
“Ben has wanted to play me at the Open for a long time,” Tiafoe noted moments before the match while discussing his game plan. “Make him play a lot of balls, just try to make it a really tough night for him.”
Though Shelton came out on top, he also anticipated Tiafoe would hold his own, not making the win easy. “Great guy off the court, but on the court a nightmare to deal with,” Shelton said of Tiafoe over the weekend. This for sure is a match to re-watch as fans continue to follow Shelton’s progress through the U.S. Open.
In regards to his fit, unfortunately you can’t buy the custom dip-dyed set… yet. But you can cop the high-quality tops ($70) and shorts ($80) on retailers like Bloomingdale’s, Ssense, and DICK’s Sporting Goods. Also, continue to watch the matches unfold as Shelton heads to the semifinals to face Grand Slam Champion, Novak Djokovic.
