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WATCH: Young fans go bananas for Ben Shelton at Cagliari Challenger

The American has captivated fans around the world with his meteoric rise this year, but the request he got after winning his opening match might've been a first.

ByBaseline Staff

Published May 05, 2023

WATCH: Tracy Austin discusses Ben Shelton's breakthrough in a recent episode of 'Talking Tennis with Tracy.'

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A group of enthusiastic young fans in Cagliari, Italy gave a whole new meeting to the phrase 'going bananas' after Ben Shelton's opening victory at the city's ATP Challenger event this week.

After beating Hungary's Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 7-6(6) in the second round of the Sardegna Open, saving two set points in the second set, Shelton was greeted by a group of enthusiastic youngsters hoping to get their hands on some match-used apparel and gear.

"Ben, a T-shirt, please?" one asks, before another drops the hammer, swooping in with possibly the most unique request ever posed to a professional tennis player: "Ben, the banana? The banana!"

While Shelton didn't help that boy up his daily potassium intake, he tossed the awaiting youngsters goodies that included a water bottle and some socks. To his credit, the American took it all in stride, flashing a knowing grin as he spots the group waiting for him.

"Want to get a laugh?" the affable left-hander asks the camera, breaking the fourth wall, before heading over to his bench. "Get your camera and get ready to get in."

Shelton has been a fan-favorite around the world since his run to the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, where he became the youngest American man to reach the last eight at a major since Andy Roddick in 2002. Much of that has centered on his first-ever visits to famous tour stops: His trip Down Under was his first time traveling outside of the U.S., and his opening win over Constant Lestienne at the ATP 250 in Estoril, Portugal last month was his first-ever match on red clay.

But with a 2-4 record in four events in Europe so far in 2023, the American hopes to get his spring season going in earnest this week: Seeded No. 2 in Cagliari, he is looking to win back-to-back matches for the first time since the Australian Open when he faces Italy's Giulio Zeppieri in the quarterfinals on Friday night.