Sure look, there are tall tennis players, and then there’s Ben Shelton. The young American fella is walking around the ATP tour like he was assembled by a committee that forgot to stop adding inches. At a glorious 6 foot 4 – or if you’re feeling metric, 193 centimetres of pure American muscle – Shelton doesn’t just play tennis; he seems to be personally redefining the concept of vertical advantage. And for those of us in Ireland who struggle to reach the top shelf in Dunnes Stores, watching him is a humbling experience. In fact, standing next to Ben Shelton would make a giraffe feel a bit inadequate.
Now, let’s talk about that height in real terms. When Ben Shelton walks onto centre court, the umpire’s chair suddenly looks like a step stool. The net? A mere suggestion at waist height. His opponents, many of whom are themselves over six foot, appear to have been shrunk in the wash. The man has a wingspan that could double as a bridge over the Liffey. When he stretches for a wide serve, you’d swear he was using an invisible ladder. And his height isn’t just for show – it transforms his game into