Nick Kyrgios shared a note for American tennis player Ben Shelton, lauding him for his “humble” comments after his loss at the US Open 2024. The 21-year-old end’s US Open campaign ended on August 30, after his loss against Francis Tiafoe in a hard-fought five-setter 4-6, 7-5, 6(5)-7(7), 6-4, 6-3.
Following this loss, Shelton congratulated Tiafoe, sharing his appreciation for his opponent.
He said:
“Obviously I thought he played lights-out today. That was one of the things you’ve got to be happy for a guy and congratulate, especially a guy like him when he’s playing the way he’s playing.”
Shelton added:
“I think that it’s important to show it sometimes that, you know, you can be happy for a guy when they beat you. Obviously there are some things I want to do better. I’m a competitor. I always want to win. I’ve taken a few things from him in the past year, and I thought that he’s always handled it well.”
These remarks from Shelton caught the attention of Australian player Nick Kyrgios, who took to X and shared his “respect” for the American player, saying:
“Shelton, ultimate respect. Well played, I hope you have every success in the world. Humble in defeat. This quote ‘ you have to be smart enough to know when it’s your time, but humble enough to know when it’s someone else’s.’”
Frances Tiafoe praised Ben Shelton after defeating him at the US Open 2024
Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton’s match went on for four hours, the former eventually advancing to the last 16 of the US Open 2024. Following his win, the American lauded Tiafoe, calling him an “incredible player”:
“Ben’s an incredible player man, he really is,” said Tiafoe. “He goes for all kinds of shots, he’s got no care in the world, it’s really annoying. He’s got a great serve and he has great energy out here.”
He added:
“He can come up with great shots, so can I. We both move really well. So its just highlight after highlight. I really hope you guys enjoyed the show.”
Shelton’s most recent competition before the US Open 2024 was the Cincinnati Masters, where he reached the quarterfinals, before being defeated there by Alexander Zverev 3-6, 7(7)-6(3), 7-5.
