Ben Shelton walked onto No.1 Court wearing white headphones, then draped a trademark Wimbledon towel over his chair.The future of American tennis was back in south west London. Ben Shelton was all over the court on Monday and advanced to the quarterfinalsGettyWimbledon Men's QuarterfinalsJannik Sinner (1)/Grigor Dimitrov (19) v Ben Shelton (10)Francesco Cobolli (22) v Novak Djokovic (6)Taylor Fritz (5) v Karen Khachanov (17)Cameron Norrie v Carlos Alcaraz (2)With Trinity Rodman and his suddenly famous sister, Emma, who received an extended summer holiday from Morgan Stanley.“She’s been here for every match I’ve played,” said Shelton, referring to his sister. “She’s been the lucky charm.”With No. 5 seed Taylor Fritz already representing the United States in the quarterfinals, but No. 10 Shelton producing the energy and optimism that has been so badly missing from the country’s men’s game in past years.“Come on, Big Ben!” proudly yelled a fan from the stands, on a day when the second-best court at Wimbledon clearly belonged to a 22-year-old from Atlanta. The 6ft 4in Shelton has the talent and passion to help carry his sport into the next decade. On Monday inside Court No.1, he answered first-set frustration against Italian Lorenzo Sonego (No. 47) with a four-set victory (3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 7-5) to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time in his career.Shelton shouted at and played off a supporitve crowd, while employing blazing serves and unreturnable forehands to end Sonego’s tournament. The 2022 NCAA singles champion at Florida will now face No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner in the quarters, if the Italian comes through his game against Grigor Dimitrov.Shelton won the first match he played against Sinner, but has lost the last five contests without winning a set.x@espnTrinity Rodman was in Shelton’s corner again on Monday on No.1 Court[/caption]AFPA pro-American crowd favored Shelton on Monday[/caption]GettyHe’s enjoying his best run at Wimbledon[/caption]Last week, Shelton was backed by fans and commentators across the globe after being unable to finish his second-round match due to Wimbledon’s strict curfew rule.“I would be pretty unhappy, as well,” Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker said.“But, yeah, he’s in a good position.”Those words proved prescient, as Shelton answered his frustration with three quick aces and a final game that barely required a minute to finish.“I guess I’m the opposite of (John) Isner, right?” said Shelton, referring to a legendary 2010 Wimbledon match at that required three days to complete.“He got the longest. I got the shortest. USA.”GettyShelton is on the rise in the tennis world[/caption]Shelton reached the semifinals at the 2023 US Open and 2025 Australian Open, but his previous best at Wimbledon was the fourth round.Shelton warmed up on Monday morning by making baseball-like throwing motions with an oversized ball, stretching with a band, and firing off backhands on the tournament’s practice courts.On a day that began with pelting rain and dark clouds, Shelton took the court beneath temporary sunshine.He dropped the first game and was quickly reminded of what separates the good from those who keep advancing at Wimbledon.A drop shot by Sonego exposed his defensive depth, then Shelton overhit the final point.But all it took was a classic Shelton serve to steady his day. Speeds varied between 140 and 145 miles per hour, and a sharp 111 mph forehand evened the initial set at 1-1.Shelton fired off a 145 mph ace in the fourth game, but Sonego possessed the smoother attack and it was soon 5-1 for the Italian.“Come on, Ben!” chants swirled around No.1 Court and attempted to lift up the young American.But mental errors and first-serve struggles undercut Shelton’s push for the quarterfinals, and Sonego took the first set 6-3.Shelton was more himself in the second set, winning 6-1 and riding his serve.Then a 7-6 (7-1) third set in Shelton’s favor changed the match.While Sonego fell to the grass and dealt with an injury, Shelton only became stronger. He kept playing to the crowd and took over No.1 Court. A 22-year-old American was just touching his potential and moving on to the quarters, with a match waiting against Sinner and the No. 1-ranked man at Wimbledon.