Ben Shelton recently opened up about his sporting inspirations. The American shared why he looked up to golf icon Tiger Woods, who happens to share a similar appearance to the tennis star’s father.
Shelton is currently in action at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. After a quarterfinals run at the Wimbledon Championships, the 22-year-old has begun his hard court season on a strong note. He took down compatriot Mackenzie McDonald in his opening round, and followed it up with a victory over Gabriel Diallo.
During a recent post-match press interaction at the tournament, Ben Shelton reflected on his sporting inspirations while he was growing up. The tennis star revealed that he looked up to golf icon Tiger Woods, who is valued at $800 million by Celebrity Net Worth, saying,
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“Tiger Woods, my dad kind of looks like him. My dad has been mistaken for him a few times. The way he competed, the tenacity, intensity, in a sport that was more country club and not used to play in the way that he brought it. It was really cool for me to watch, someone I looked up to. Just, you know, one of the most iconic athletes of all times.
Over the course of the past three decades, Woods has established himself as one of the greatest golf players of all-time. The 49-year-old’s career has seen him win 15 major championships.
“He was my hero” - Ben Shelton heaps praise on football player Calvin Johnson
At the same press conference, Ben Shelton revealed that he also looked up to football player Calvin Johnson when he was younger. The tennis star shared that the former Detroit Lions wide receiver once gave him a signed ball for his birthday, saying,
“The football player Calvin Johnson who played for the Detroit Lions, he played at Georgia Tech when my dad was the coach there. He gave me a signed ball for my fifth or sixth birthday. He was my hero and my favorite player. I will say he's the greatest wide receiver of all time, and I'll stand on that till I die. That was the athlete I really looked up to.”
On the tennis end of things, Ben Shelton is scheduled to return to action at the Citi DC Open on Friday, July 25. The American will be taking on compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals.
