In sport, often it takes years of perseverance to get close to the top. But once in a while it also throws up exceptions. Athletes who come out of nowhere and perform as if they belong among the best, greatly adding to the allure of sport. In tennis, it is Ben Shelton and Karolina Muchova who have taken the fast track to the elite level this season.
At the start of the 2022 US Open, American Shelton was ranked world No.171 while Czech Republic’s Muchova was 235. Both lost in the first round. This year though, they’ve made it to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows for the first time. While Shelton, 20, is assured of breaking into the top 20, Muchova, 27, has cemented her spot in the top 10. It’s been an extraordinary 12 months for them, and from the looks of it, we’re going to see a lot more of them.
On Tuesday night in New York, Shelton out-hit US compatriot Frances Tiafoe to win 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 and reach the men’s singles last four, where he runs into 23-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Muchova was a lot more dominant, winning 6-0, 6-3 against 30th seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania. She will be up against the Coco Gauff juggernaut in the women’s semis.
{{/usCountry}}Muchova was a lot more dominant, winning 6-0, 6-3 against 30th seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania. She will be up against the Coco Gauff juggernaut in the women’s semis.
{{/usCountry}}It was at the Australian Open that Shelton, in his first full year as a pro, began his ascendency. He reached the quarter-finals in only his second major appearance. Armed with a lethal serve, he’s gone past two top 15 seeds (Tiafoe and Tommy Paul) in this US Open. It’s been an interesting season for the left-hander, who lost in the first and second rounds at Roland Garros and Wimbledon respectively. He has won nine matches and lost once at hard court majors but has won just eight matches and lost 20 in all other tour-level events put together.
“I've definitely made some strides physically being out on tour a full year and playing a lot of matches and just being on the court more, working hard in the gym. My fitness levels have surely improved,” said Shelton, who became the youngest American man to reach the US Open semi-finals since Michael Chang in 1992.
For Muchova, competing in the second week of a Slam isn’t new. She reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2019 and 2021, and the Australian Open semi-finals in 2021. But it is this year that we’ve seen the Czech, whose career has been hampered by injuries to abdomen and ankle, show the sort of consistency many have always expected of her. She beat Maria Sakkari and Aryna Sabalenka on her way to the French Open final before reaching her first WTA 1000 final at Cincinnati.
“My body needed some time,” said Muchova after defeating Cirstea. “It was continuous work, trying to figure out how to remain healthy and not be injured after almost every match. I’m 27 now and just happy that I can play. Last year, I was injured and really struggling. I didn’t think about anything at the start of this year. But yeah, this season has gone pretty well and I’m really happy. It’s incredible how fast it has all happened.”
While it has indeed been a rapid rise for Shelton and Muchova, they now have two tournament favourites standing in their path.
After his win over Tiafoe, in a match that saw him hit 50 winners, Shelton said: “Sometimes you have to shut off the brain, close your eyes and just swing.” Well, that’s an approach that can certainly help at times, but the youngster will need to bring a lot more to the table against arguably the greatest retriever the game has ever seen.
Shelton has also hit by far the most aces (76) in the tournament but again, Djokovic is perhaps the last man to be troubled by big servers. As much as it can be about power, it’ll be a game of patience for the young challenger. There’s little doubt he’ll need to play a near perfect match to have a chance in his first meeting with the Serb.
Muchova has faced Gauff just once before, in the Cincinnati final recently, and lost in straight sets. Both players registered a bagel in their quarter-finals, and have been playing with great authority. Muchova has variety in her shot-making to test Gauff’s defence, but overcoming the home favourite will require something special.