World No. 13 Ben Shelton shared his mindset ahead of starting the `Masters` tournament in Madrid.
– How do you find Madrid? What are your impressions of the local clay, is everything okay?
– Yes, everything is good. I`m learning quickly and improving on this surface. I`m happy to be here in Madrid.
– You did great, reaching the final in Munich is fantastic! I know you love hard courts and play very well on them. Did you and your team make any adjustments to your preparation for clay? Perhaps something changed compared to last year?
– Yes, right now I`m focused on tactics and strategy. It`s important to consider the pace of the ball strike, choose moments when you need to extend the rally and play slower than on hard courts, where I often come to the net. On clay, you have to think about different things. Movement also plays a key role – the better I move on this surface, the better my game is.
– One more question, hopefully not too personal, about Trinity. She is an amazing athlete, she follows us, and we follow her. We believe she does a lot for women`s sports, especially soccer. Do you think there is anything you, as athletes, learn from each other, or share experiences about?
– We really have a lot in common. We face the same things: media obligations, brand partnerships – everything we go through in our sports, careers, and lifestyles. It`s great to see how she handles her things every day.
Rupert Hartwell