Ben Shelton’s run to the 2026 US Open semifinals, capped by a five-set win over Carlos Alcaraz that finished at 3:33 a.m., has drawn renewed attention to his background. Here is what is publicly known about his ethnicity and family heritage.
Biracial parentage
Ben Shelton is biracial. His father, Bryan Shelton, is African American. His mother, Lisa Witsken Shelton, is white. The two met while both playing tennis at Georgia Tech and married in October 1999. Ben was born on October 9, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia.
A family history in tennis, on both sides
Bryan Shelton played on the ATP Tour in the late 1980s and 1990s, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 55 and winning two ATP singles titles. After retiring, he became a college coach, leading the University of Florida men’s team to the 2021 NCAA championship.
He is also known as the first African American head coach to win an NCAA tennis team championship. He has coached Ben full-time on tour since June 2023.
Lisa Witsken Shelton was a highly ranked junior player from Carmel, Indiana, before stepping away from competitive tennis. Her brother, Todd Witsken, played on the ATP Tour in the 1980s and 1990s and reached a career-high ranking of No. 43 in singles.
Part of a small group at the top of men’s tennis
Black men have historically been underrepresented at the top of professional tennis. Arthur Ashe, who won three Grand Slam singles titles between 1968 and 1975, remains the most prominent Black American man to have played the sport at that level. James Blake, who reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in the 2000s, is another.
Shelton is part of the current generation of Black American men on tour alongside Frances Tiafoe, who reached a career-high of world No. 9.
Shelton and Tiafoe have met at the top level of the sport multiple times, including in a 2024 US Men’s Clay Court Championship final, which marked the first all-African-American men’s final at that event.
Their pairing has drawn attention again in 2026: Shelton’s win over Alcaraz sets up a US Open semifinal against Tiafoe, making it the latest meeting between the two at the sport’s biggest tournaments.
Nationality
Ben Shelton is American. He was born in Atlanta and raised primarily in Gainesville, Florida, after his father took the head coaching job at the University of Florida.
He has represented the United States at every level of his career, from junior tournaments through his current run on the ATP Tour.
