United States tennis player Ben Shelton blasted a 149 mph serve, not once but twice, against No. 14 ranked Tommy Paul, setting a new record at this year’s US Open. The two serves remarkably came in the same game along with a third ace which reached 147 mph – his previous best.
The achievement occurred as Shelton beat Paul 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 to advance to his first US Open quarterfinal appearance. The 20-year-old quickly broke his fellow American’s serve in the third set and raced to a 3-1 lead. During his next serve, at a score of 15-0, he delivered the powerful 149 mph serve.
He then achieved this year’s record-breaking speed twice in the same game. Shelton re-broke his record set last Friday when he delivered a 147 mph serve against Aslan Karatsev in the third round of the US Open. The 20-year-old American defeated Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 to advance to the Round of 16 against Paul.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium burst into applause, with even Paul acknowledging the feat by tapping his racket in applause to recognise the feat of his young opponent.
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Shelton had a rough start in his match against Paul, losing the first three games. However, he made a strong comeback and won the first set 6-4. The second set was dominated by Shelton, who won 6-3.
Despite leading the third 4-1, he surprisingly lost the subsequent five games, leading to Paul clinching the set 6-4. However Shelton hit straight back in the next set, winning 6-4 and the match with it.
“I think it’s straight adrenaline,” said Shelton after the win regarding his powerful serve. “And the atmosphere.”
Despite the remarkable achievement, Shelton admitted that his father and coach probably would not enjoy the serve like the other tennis observers. Instead, he shared how his father does not like when he hits the ball so hard, which reduces his overall control.
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“Dad is always upset when I go for the bombs,” he said. “He was saying to me after the match, he’s like, ‘I know you looked at the clock, looked right at it after.”
“They had a little statistic up on the screen of fastest serves of the tournament. He’s like, ‘I know you were looking up at that, too, to see you were number one on the leaderboard.’ He gave me a hard time about it.”
He continued by explaining the hope that his victory would inspire young kids to develop an interest in tennis. The young American played at the University of Florida under his father, Bryan Shelton, after committing to the school on Father’s Day in 2020.
“I learned that I’m not just a tennis player. I don’t just put on a show on court. I treat people the right way make an impact. I hope there’s a lot of young people that develop a passion for tennis when they watch me.”
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