Alcaraz has dazzled tennis players – past and present – pundits, and fans ever since he broke through on the ATP Tour, lifting four Grand Slam singles titles and reaching No 1 in the world.
The Spaniard has won two of his four major titles in 2024 – winning at the French Open and Wimbledon – and holds an unblemished record against Shelton, who is just a few months older than him.
Alcaraz prevailed in straight sets when they first met at the Canadian Open in 2023, while he defeated the American again at the Laver Cup just last month.
Despite falling in both matches against the world No 2, American ace Shelton holds nothing but admiration for Alcaraz.
Speaking at the Swiss Indoors Open this week, the world No 23 spoke about the Spanish star when asked about his favourite ATP stars to watch.
He said: “Alcaraz is a great athlete, capable of hitting every shot imaginable, he entertains the crowd and always has a smile on his face.
“He is a personality on the court, that is what I love to watch and he gives me that feeling of seeing an artist but also someone who plays at the highest level.
Shelton was also full of praise for Grigor Dimitrov, who has had somewhat of a renaissance in recent months.
The Bulgarian is back up to ninth in the ATP Rankings and won the only previous meeting between himself and the American, winning in three sets at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2023.
