Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Hubert Hurkacz among players to congratulate Ben Shelton after Japan Open title

Ben Shelton received a flood of congratulations from his fellow tennis players for his victory in the Japan Open, including messages from Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Hubert Hurkacz.

The year 2023 has been a breakthrough year for Shelton. At just 21 years old, the American has made one of the most significant impacts on the tour in recent months, culminating in his first title – the ATP 500 in Tokyo. He secured this triumph with authority, defeating Russian player Aslan Karatsev in the final with a score of 7-5, 6-1.

His path to the title wasn’t easy, as he played three of the five matches in three sets. Even his first-round match was decided in a third-set tie-break. Shelton defeated Taro Daniel, Jordan Thompson, Tommy Paul, Marcos Giron, and finally, Karatsev, in consecutive matches to claim the title.

“All business this week,” Shelton wrote.

The North American tennis player shared his joy on social media and received a plethora of praises from both fans and his fellow players. Carlos Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz, Denis Shapovalov, and Wu Yibing extended their congratulations to the young star. Additionally, some female tennis players like Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens joined in to celebrate his victory:

It's all good news for Shelton, as his fantastic week will be reflected in the ATP Ranking, securing a place as world No. 14, the highest position in his career. He also becomes the third-highest-ranked American, just behind Taylor Fritz (10th) and Tommy Paul (12th), leaving Frances Tiafoe (15th) behind.

This will be the first time that there have been four American tennis players in the top 15 since March 1997. Led by the former world No. 1 Pete Sampras, the Americans also included Michael Chang (3rd), Andre Agassi (13th), and Todd Martin (14th).

Following his remarkable performance in Tokyo, Shelton won't be taking a break. He's heading to the ATP 500 Vienna Open and will make his debut in the first round against world No. 4 Jannik Sinner on Tuesday, October 24th.