Ben Shelton’s sister Emma lauded him on his Australian Open exploits. The 22-year-old did well to reach his second Grand Slam semifinal, where he suffered a 6-7(2), 2-6, 2-6 defeat to reigning champion and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

The American entered the Melbourne Major following a disappointing second-round exit at the ASC Classic in Auckland. Shelton defeated Brandon Nakashima, Pablo Carreno Busta, 16th seed Lorenzo Musetti, Gael Monfils and Lorenzo Sonego to reach the semifinals of the tournament. This is his best-ever finish at the Australian Open, surpassing his quarterfinal run in 2023.

Following the 22-year-old’s defeat to Jannik Sinner, his sister Emma Shelton took to her Instagram page with a simple message to congratulate her brother on his run.

“Insane run,” the 22-year-old’s sister said.

The siblings are in fact the latest in a tennis dynasty that stretches back to the 1980’s.

Ben Shelton’s sister Emma represented the Florida Gators in tennis

Ben Shelton’s sister Emma represented the Florida Gators in tennis, just like her brother. She joined the university’s team in June 2021, after two seasons of college tennis at the University of South Carolina.

Ben Shelton comes from a tennis background, with his father Bryan being ranked as high as 55th during his singles career, attaining a fourth-round finish at Wimbledon 1994. Bryan Shelton won two ATP singles titles during his modest career.

The 22-year-old’s uncle Todd Witsken also played tennis, and beat Jimmy Connors in the third round of the 1986 US Open, making it the first time in 13 years that the former World No. 1 did not reach the semifinals of the New York Major.

Ben Shelton himself has had some impressive moments so far in his career, reaching two Grand Slam semifinals and winning an ATP 500 title. Following his Australian Open exit, the American currently has five wins out of seven matches so far during the 2025 season.

He is next scheduled to compete at the Dallas Open as the fifth seed. Shelton competed in last year’s edition of the tournament and reached the semifinals before losing 2-6, 4-6 to eventual champion Tommy Paul.

The 2025 Dallas Open will be an ATP 500 event and there will be a few quality players joining Shelton. These include Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe.