Wimbledon star refuses to copy Emma Raducanu and insists 'I wasn't raised that way'

American tennis star Ben Shelton has said it's not in his nature to pull out of other commitments just because he's succeeding on multiple fronts. That's after Emma Raducanu withdrew from her mixed doubles showdown alongside Andy Murray at Wimbledon after advancing in the women's singles.

Raducanu, 21, drew criticism from Murray's mum, Judy, when she pulled out of the doubles competition after saying she felt stiffness in her right wrist. The decision - which Judy called "astonishing" and later clarified as a sarcastic comment - put an end to Murray's Wimbledon career after he had already withdrawn from the singles and was knocked out of the men's doubles alongside brother Jamie.

Shelton, 21, has impressed at SW19 and set a new career-best after reaching the fourth round of the men's singles, where he was knocked out by world No 1 Jannik Sinner. However, he's never contemplated pulling out of his men's doubles commitments, where he and Mackenzie McDonald face compatriots Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow on Monday.

He admitted the schedule was tough on him but he was never going to prioritise himself over his doubles partner. "Yeah, I mean, whenever you're on the schedule seven days straight, it's not something easy to deal with," said Shelton. "I think five of those days I was -- five or six of those days I was actually on a court playing. Maybe six.

"So it's not an easy thing to deal with, but I signed up for it. I signed up to play doubles yesterday. Played two extra sets after my singles match, and that's my decision.

"I think a lot of people probably would have pulled out of doubles in that situation, but I didn't want to do that to my partner. He's been waiting around for four, four and a half days to play doubles with me. I'm not just going to pull out on the guy. I think it's a selfish thing to do. Just kind of wasn't raised that way."

Shelton makes no direct reference towards Raducanu in his remarks but he clearly felt that pulling out of the doubles would not be the right thing to do for himself. There were also some slight differences in their situations with Raducanu experiencing some physical discomfort, complaining of minor wrist and back issues.

The young Briton has also struggled with injuries and would've been mindful of that when she decided to prioritise her singles campaign. However, after beating Maria Sakkari, Elise Mertens and Renata Zarazua to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the second time in her career, she eventually lost to qualifier Lulu Sun in three sets.

Following her surprise US Open triumph in 2021, the youngster has struggled to put together a consistent run of fitness, and this year's Wimbledon was her first time advancing beyond the second round of a Grand Slam since then.

However, the reaction to her doubles withdrawal was undoubtedly exacerbated by the context of the situation and how it affected her partner. The decision unfortunately robbed the tennis public of one final opportunity to see Murray in action at the All England Club.

Raducanu explained the 'difficult decision' following her loss and insisted she still sticks by it despite come criticism on social media. She said: "Of course, I didn't want to take his last match away from him. But at the end of the day I think a lot of the players in a similar situation would have done the same thing, prioritizing their body. Yeah, I still stand by making the right call.

"I mean, obviously disappointed because it's his last match. But, yeah, what a champion. I think that hopefully he'll play in the Olympics and have another farewell there. I think with every decision, people are entitled to their opinions. Of course, there was a bit of a cloud around the decision.

"I don't think I would have done it any other way. I think in this sport especially, as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritize yourself. Especially with my history, I just had to put myself first."