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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Introducing Emma Shelton: Former Florida Gator tennis sensation and sister to rising star Ben Shelton

Tennis runs in the Shelton family. Father Bryan won four ATP titles during his career - Emma and Ben have followed in his footsteps.

Tennis runs in the Shelton family. Father Bryan won four ATP titles during his career - Emma and Ben have followed in his footsteps.
Clive BrunskillGetty Images

The Shelton family will be cheering on one of their siblings in today’s Australian Open men’s singles semi-final. Ben Shelton faces defending champion and No.1 seed Jannick Sinner at Rod Laver Arena on Friday, with a place in the final at stake.

Ben made it to the quarter final two years ago, only to be eliminated by Novak Djokovic. The 22-year-old, who is ranked 20th in the world, has two titles under his belt - he won the ATP 500 in Tokyo in October 2023 and the ATP 250, the Clay Court Championships, in April last year.

The Sheltons’ tennis dynasty

Tennis is generational for the Sheltons. Father Bryan spent eight years as a pro and won four ATP titles before retiring in 1997 to continue in the sport as a coach at his old college, Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and later at the University of Florida.

Bryan’s wife Lisa was a successful junior player during her formative years and her brother Todd Witsken was a professional, reaching a career high ranking of 43rd in singles and 4th in doubles. In 1986, he famously beat Jimmy Connors over three sets in the US Open. Sadly Todd passed away from brain cancer, aged 34 in 1998.

Both of their children, Ben and Emma are talented tennis players who have played for Florida Gators' tennis teams.

Emma was born in Gainesville, Florida on March 18, 2001 and attended Buchholz High School.

She joined the Gators' class in June 2021, following two seasons of collegiate competition at the University of South Carolina where she posted a 19-3 record in singles and 19-8 in doubles in her first year and 13-12 and 13-11 respectively in her second year.

In addition to her success on the courts, Shelton was lauded for academic achievements with SEC Academic Honor Roll and ITA Scholar-Athlete designations in 2020.

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