Ben Shelton Clarifies His "USA" Message at Australian Open

Earlier this week, the eighth-seeded Ben Shelton defeated Valentin Vacherot in straight sets during their third-round match of the 2026 Australian Open: 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

After picking up the victory, Shelton wrote a patriotic message on the camera screen: "USA 'till it's backwards." Since it is a saying among young people, many tennis fans were confused by what Shelton meant with the concise message.

Ben Shelton signs the camera after reaching the 2nd week of the Australian Open

"USA 'til it's backwards"

🇺🇲 pic.twitter.com/cF0tYOrLcL
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 24, 2026

Shelton followed up with a clarification of what he meant by the message on his Instagram story. "Literally no underlying message with my camera sign... a lot of young Americans killing it in Australia this year. And my girlfriend played for team USA for the first time in a year this morning. Thought they deserved a shoutout."

This comes as many American tennis stars are facing political questions in Melbourne. Coco Gauff expressed fatigue with the issue before issuing an honest and diplomatic response. Meanwhile, four other players offered varying responses to questions about President Donald Trump and how they felt representing the United States while playing abroad.

Ben Shelton on signing the camera ‘USA til it’s backwards’ after his win at the Australian Open in his last match pic.twitter.com/T5uW4ifLpT
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 25, 2026

These questions stem from domestic and international issues. Additionally, there are new developments every day and American tennis players are dealing with a significant time zone difference. It is possible that both of those factors motivated Shelton to add some context to his original message.

So far, no American tennis players have received any slights from other players. Before the start of the Australian Open, Ukrainian star Marta Kostyuk made a political statement after losing to Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane International final.

Third trip to the fourth round in Melbourne for Ben Shelton ⚡

He does it in straight sets over Vacherot@wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/uIZpldvXiP
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2026

Shelton will face the 12th-seeded Casper Ruud in a highly anticipated fourth-round match in Rod Laver Arena. Shelton and Ruud have faced off three times on tour, with Ruud holding a 2-1 lead in head-to-head matches.

The 2026 Australian Open's main draw kicked off on Sunday, January 18. The action concludes for the women on Saturday, January 31, and the men on Sunday, February 1. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis style news from the court and beyond.

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