"Wasn’t going to play unless I could play with her" - Ben Shelton makes bold claim about US Open mixed doubles partner Taylor Townsend's skills

Ben Shelton recently praised Taylor Townsend for her impressive tennis skills ahead of their appearance in mixed doubles at the 2025 US Open. The two American tennis players will reunite to compete in the mixed doubles for the second time since the 2023 US Open, where they reached the semifinals before falling to Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek.

Townsend has shown fine form this year so far, winning her second Grand Slam doubles title at the 2025 Australian Open with partner Katerina Siniakova. The pair advanced to the quarterfinals at this year's French Open and followed this notable performance with a strong run to the semifinals at Wimbledon in July.

The WTA doubles No. 2 teamed up with Evan King and pushed through to the championship final before coming up short against the Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Ahead of the left-handed duo's appearance at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Shelton voiced his firm opinion that Townsend is the best mixed doubles player in the world and stated that he wouldn't have played in the event if he couldn't have teamed up with her.

“Yeah, she’s the best mixed doubles player in the world, hands down. So if I was going to play, I wasn’t going to play at all unless I could play with her," he said (via thetennisgazette.com).

Shelton's pairing with Townsend for the 2023 US Open is his only Grand Slam mixed doubles experience. Shelton has been loudly cheering for the 29-year-old at every turn. He recently reacted to Townsend reuniting with her son after two months, following her Wimbledon run, where she competed in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

Ben Shelton shares his admiration for the US Open over other Championships

Ben Shelton at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, DC. (Photo by Getty Images)

Ben Shelton recently praised the US Open Championships, stating he loves the energy at the tournament. He further highlighted that the US Open Championships have one of the best crowds, and he never wants to miss it.

“The biggest goal is the US Open, but I love all the early tournaments, lead-up tournaments in the U.S. swing,” Sheltopn said. "I think this is one of the tournaments with the best tennis crowds. There is a lot of energy around this tournament. It’s the reason that after a different slam, if it was, you know, two weeks after the slam ended and I was in the quarterfinals, I’d probably pull out and not play, but this is a tournament that I never want to miss, just because of the energy and excitement around it," he explained (via tennis365.com).

Ben Shelton rose to fame during the 2023 US Open when he reached the semifinal before losing to tennis legend Novak Djokovic.

Edited by Samya Majumdar