The unprecedented fact that connects Shelton with Nadal in making..

Ben Shelton broke a new personal record at the 2025 Australian Open by defeating Lorenzo Sonego in the quarterfinals and securing a spot in the semifinals in Melbourne. With this achievement, the American shares an interesting fact with Rafa Nadal. Since 1988, the Spanish and the American are the only two left-handed players to have reached the semifinals in both Grand Slams played on hard courts: the Australian Open and the US Open.

Reaching the last four in Australia comes after he made the semi-finals in front of his home fans at the 2023 US Open, after beating compatriot Frances Tiafoe.

Shelton’s latest win means that since 1988, he has become just the second left handed player since Rafael Nadal to reach the semi-finals of both hard court Grand Slams.

The great Spaniard reached his first Australian Open semi-final back in 2008, and later that year he made his first appearance in the US Open semi-finals.

Nadal lost both of those matches, but he would go on to win the first of his two Australian Open titles the following year in an epic five-set thriller against Roger Federer