American tennis star Ben Shelton has spoken out against TV interviewers at the Australian Open, claiming they have crossed a line and made players feel uncomfortable. Shelton, 22, won his quarterfinal match against Lorenzo Sonego, but instead of celebrating, he chose to express his frustration about the treatment of players during interviews.
Shelton cited several incidents, including an on-court interview after his fourth-round victory over Gael Monfils, where the interviewer, Roger Rasheed, made a comment that Shelton believed was a “Black joke” due to their shared racial identity. Shelton also spoke out about an interview after his quarterfinal match, where the interviewer commented that he likely wouldn’t have many fans in his semifinal match against Jannik Sinner.
“I just don’t think that comment is respectful from a guy I’ve never met before in my life,” Shelton said. “I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments. I just feel like there’s been a lot of negativity and I think that’s something that needs to change.”
Shelton’s comments come after Novak Djokovic refused to do an interview following comments made about him and his fan base, and several incidents of negativity towards players have made headlines at the Australian Open.
