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Ben Shelton recently put out a high-profile challenge to NBA star Anthony Edwards shortly after winning a prestigious award. The American is currently gearing up for the upcoming tournaments of the 2025 tennis season.
Shelton won the 'They Got Next' award on October 16, 2025, at the first annual Believe That Awards, introduced and hosted by Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Edwards, over four other nominees, including football player Cam Ward and basketball players Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe. A video of the winner's announcement was shared by Edwards, where Shelton's impressive 150 mph serve was also discussed.
Amid this discussion, the pro tennis player put out a high-profile challenge to Edwards after the latter reacted to his notable 150mph serve at the Indian Wells in March 2025. Lauding the American's remarkable serve, one of the guests of the event said that he was impressed with his high-speed serve, to which the Timberwolves' player said:
"Man, I'm hitting that s*** back man," said Edwards.
Replying to this statement, the World No. 6 issued a high-profile challenge:
"I knew you were going to say something like that. I know that you'd beat me 11-0, in one on one. If you tried to return my serve, I'm hitting you in the chest. Believe that," said Ben Shelton.
Here is a video of the conversation, shared by Edwards on Instagram:
This video garnered Shelton's reaction, who reposted it on his Instagram story, writing:
"Lace em up @theanthonyedwards U not hittin nothin 😭"
Shelton's story - via @benshelton on Instagram" srcset="https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/a8e7f-17607175581990-1920.jpg 1920w">
Shelton's story - via @benshelton on Instagram
The 23-year-old's latest appearance on the court was at the Shanghai Masters, where he faced an early exit in the first round against David Goffin on October 3, 2025.
Ben Shelton makes his feelings known on winning the Canadian Open
Ben Shelton bagged his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto on August 7 this year by delivering a series of remarkable performances. He dominated several athletes, including Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, and more, to reach the finals. In the last round, he trounced Karen Khachanov in a three-set match, claiming a 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(3) win.
Following this triumph, the American sat for a press conference, where he emphasized consistency being one of the main reasons behind his win. Opening up about recognizing his form by playing against some of the best players, he said:
"I think that the more opportunities that you have, the more times you put yourself in the position to be playing against the best players in the world, you're only going to get better," said Ben Shelton.
He added:
"So, for me it's being in the later stages of the tournament and playing against guys who are playing their best tennis to see where I match up, and see where my weaknesses are and where I can get better."
Further talking about his tennis IQ, he said:
"I think that my tennis IQ and my tennis mind is something that is getting better, and something that needs to continue to get better."
Although Ben Shelton did not compete at the Davis Cup, he still attended the event on September 12-13 to support his country and cheer on fellow American players, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and others.
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Nancy Singh
An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.
To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.
Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.
Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.
When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.
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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar