American tennis star Ben Shelton is launching a new YouTube channel in coordination with the release of his digital docuseries The Long Game, his reps confirmed to Front Office Sports.
The series will give viewers a glimpse into Shelton’s life on and off the court, ranging from training and conditioning clips to interactions with his girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman.
In an interview with FOS, Shelton was asked whether he has been a sounding board for Rodman’s ongoing contract negotiations, during which the NWSL rejected a contract that would have been worth more than $1 million per year with the Washington Spirit.
“She’s been through a lot of different things, contracts, whether it’s off-field brand deals or on-the-field contracts with different teams and clubs. It’s something that she’s used to,” Shelton said. “She has a pretty good handle on it and obviously we talk like every couple, and we support each other and we’re close to each other and helping every way we can when these things are going on. But she has full confidence in herself to make the right decisions and know what she wants to do with her career.”
He also chimed in on the upcoming Aryna Sabalenka vs. Nick Kyrgios exhibition in Dubai on Dec. 28, which is being billed as a new “Battle of the Sexes.” The exhibition has received heavy criticism; Billie Jean King Enterprises CEO Ilana Kloss told FOS, “I don’t even think you can put it in the context of Billie Jean playing Bobby Riggs. … I don’t think anyone’s going to take it seriously. Other than them getting a check, which is great, I’m sure it’s a big check.”
Shelton said his first thought about the spectacle was that the rules will make it “interesting.”
“I was with both of them last weekend and it’s going to be tough for him [Kyrgios],” Shelton said. “You know, he has a court that I think is, I think, 9% smaller. He only has one serve; she has two. And obviously, she’s the best player in the world right now. She’s very strong from the baseline. You’re taking away the weapon of his first serve. So I think it’s going to be an interesting match. It’s definitely something I would tune in to.”
Shelton has been ranked as high as fifth in the world; he reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and semifinals of the Australian Open last year, and he also reached the 2023 US Open semifinals.
Can American men ever start winning majors again in the era of Carlos Alcaraz (Spanish) and Jannik Sinner (Italian) dominance? Shelton is optimistic.
“I think that we’re on the right track. I think that having the density of guys at the top is important. And then it’s inevitable. It’s just going to happen. And we’re slowly getting there,” Shelton said.
“You know, it’s a question that we get asked in media pretty much every single week—at least every single month—and I can’t tell you when it’s gonna happen, I just know that we’re on the right track. We have two guys in the top 10 right now [Shelton and Taylor Fritz], which hadn’t been the case for a while, and so many young guys coming up that could make the same type of push. So I think just having a number of guys at the top who are confident and ready for their moment to come and to make that push to win a slam—I think it’s gonna happen.”
There is a glut of athlete content in the marketplace, from podcasts to documentaries. Asked how his new show can stand out in a crowded space, Shelton said, “I think that the more authentic that you can be, the more that you can really put yourself out there and show people the real you without closing it off or cutting too much. We’re trying to keep it as uncut as possible.”
The Long Game will air on Shelton’s Instagram and TikTok feeds in addition to his new YouTube channel. Shelton worked on the series with Wheelhouse Sports and Portal A, a content studio backed by Wheelhouse.
“There’s a reason Ben is in everyone’s feeds—he has the ‘it’ factor that you can’t quantify, but is unmistakable when you see it,” says Portal A cofounder Nate Houghteling. “With the launch of his YouTube channel, we want to expand the scale of Ben’s storytelling while staying true to who he is.”
