Who Is Ben Shelton’s Coach? All About His Dad, Bryan Shelton

When Ben Shelton looks toward his box inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, he doesn't have to wonder what his coach is thinking.

Chances are, he already knows.

The man guiding Shelton through the biggest tournament of his career is his father, Bryan Shelton, and their connection has been built over far more than the three years they have spent traveling the professional tour together.

Bryan played professionally himself. He became one of the most accomplished coaches in college tennis. He coached Ben to an NCAA singles championship. Then, in 2023, he left the University of Florida to go all-in on his son's career.

On Sunday, that decision will bring father and son to a place neither has been before.

Ben Shelton will face Alexander Zverev in his first Grand Slam final after beating Frances Tiafoe in Friday's US Open semifinal. A victory would make Shelton the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open.

Here is what to know about the coach who will be in Shelton's corner.

Bryan Shelton Had His Own Successful Tennis Career

Bryan Shelton's tennis résumé started long before his son picked up a racket.

The Huntsville, Ala., native played at Georgia Tech and spent nearly a decade on the professional tour, climbing as high as No. 55 in the world. He won back-to-back ATP singles titles in Newport in 1991 and 1992 and reached the mixed doubles final at the 1992 French Open.

His 1991 Newport victory also carried historical significance: Shelton became the first Black American man since Arthur Ashe in 1978 to win an ATP Tour singles title.

After his playing career ended, Bryan found even greater success from the coach's chair.

He led Georgia Tech's women's team to the 2007 NCAA championship before taking over the men's program at Florida. In 2021, the Gators won their first NCAA team championship, making Bryan the first coach to win Division I national team titles in both men's and women's tennis.

And one of his Florida players happened to live under the same roof.

Bryan Shelton Coached Ben Before They Ever Reached the ATP Tour

Ben played for his father at Florida, helping the Gators win that 2021 team championship before capturing the NCAA singles title himself in 2022.

He turned professional later that year, but Bryan initially stayed at Florida while veteran coach Dean Goldfine traveled with Ben.

That arrangement changed in June 2023.

After 11 seasons, three SEC championships and a 211-83 record at Florida, Bryan stepped down. The school called his decision exactly what it was: “Family First.”

Bryan became Ben's full-time traveling coach, trading college tennis for airports, hotels and life on the ATP Tour with his son.

“We started together on the court and I think we've kind of built that coach-player relationship through the years as we continue to build our own relationship as father-son,” Bryan told the ATP at the time.

Within months, Ben reached his first US Open semifinal and won his first ATP Tour title.

Three years later, they're playing for considerably more.

Ben and Bryan Shelton Have One Important Rule

There is an obvious complication to the arrangement: How do you coach your son all day and still just be his dad?

The Sheltons have boundaries.

Bryan has explained that when they arrive at the courts, he puts on the coaching hat. Practice, preparation and matches are work.

Once they leave, the job stays behind.

“Then we get in the car, heading home and there's really no more talk of tennis,” Bryan told the ATP in 2025. “As far as my relationship with Ben, it's strictly dad in certain hours and it's strictly coach in other hours.”

Ben has said all those years together have created another advantage. Sometimes, words aren't necessary.

“It’s become a really good situation where he doesn’t even have to tell me things and I know what he’s thinking or he knows what I’m thinking,” Shelton has said.

That connection has been impossible to miss during this US Open.

Bryan was in the box when Ben knocked out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that lasted four hours and 28 minutes. He was there again when his son beat Tiafoe to finally break through to his first major final.

After the semifinal, Bryan pointed to the quality that has impressed him most throughout the run.

“Ben has just been so resilient,” he said. “I think that's the fun part for me as coach and dad is just when he's facing adversity this whole tournament, just how he kind of turns it up a notch.”

Sunday brings one more match, this time with a Grand Slam trophy waiting at the end of it.

And the coach trying to help Shelton win it is the same person who has been teaching him the game for most of his life.

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