It was a family affair on center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium during Sunday’s U.S. Open final. The men’s final featured American Ben Shelton, who was competing in his maiden Grand Slam final, and Germany’s tennis veteran Alexander Zverev. The two players are coached by their fathers in what had been billed as a clash of prominent tennis families.
Zverev’s mother, father and older brother played professionally, as did Shelton’s father, who used to coach at the University of Florida, where Shelton played at the collegiate level. Even though Zverev got the better of the 23-year-old Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4, the match also offered an endearing glimpse of the father-son relationships behind two of the sport’s rising stars. Bryan Shelton, who played on the pro tour between 1989 to 1997 and was deeply influenced by Arthur Ashe, the first Black man to win a Grand Slam singles title, was a frequent presence in interviews and news conferences throughout his son’s run at this year’s Open.
