Ben Shelton Takes Swing At French Open Crowd, Compares Match Against Frenchman To 'Playing In The SEC'

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Ben Shelton squared off against Hugo Gaston in the opening round of the French Open. It wasn't the American's first time competing on the clay at Roland Garros, but it was his first meeting against a French player in the Grand Slam.

Shelton dropped the first set of the match before reeling off the next three sets to advance to the second round. Throughout the match that lasted two hours and 30 minutes, he couldn't help but notice the very real home-court advantage Gaston drew from the crowd. 

Ben Shelton Likens French Open To SEC Match

Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

While most 21-year-old up-and-comers would look at the situation as an incredibly unique one, Shelton's mind went elsewhere when reflecting on what it was like to take on a Frenchman at the French Open. He likened the experience to going on the road in the SEC and playing a match during his days as a Florida Gator.

First round of a Grand Slam to a weekend match while in college? Sure, same thing.

"It's a big motivator when you hear the chants and cheers whenever you make an unforced error, but also, there was so much energy for me, which made it awesome," Shelton said, according to Tennis.com. "Sometimes it's tough when it's completely silent when you hit a good shot, and they're going nuts every time that you miss, but here it was a little bit more even. Obviously, he had the home field advantage, but I felt some love out there."

"I think playing at Georgia is comparable. Not because of the noise. Just because of the very nasty, choice words that people say to you in the stands. I'd say Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee were probably the three worst for me."

"At Florida we usually got big crowds, loud crowds, but I'd like to think that our fans had some character. You know, they were nice about the way that they cheered and heckled."

"But, yeah, you play in the SEC, and all bets are off."

Shelton helped lead the Gators to a team title in 2021 before winning the NCAA Singles Championship the next year before turning professional.

It's eye-opening to hear Shelton compare one of tennis' grandest stages to playing at the collegiate level in the States, but it is clear that those moments helped shape him into the player he is today allowing him to focus on the task at hand while everyone in the stands is pulling against you.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.