MELBOURNE, Australia—Until he boarded a flight for the other side of the world earlier this month, Ben Shelton had never left the U.S. He was 20 years old and already a champion in college tennis, but while other players his age crisscrossed the globe chasing tournaments, he chose to build up experience at home.
Then came the prospect of playing in the Australian Open this year. Shelton knew it was time to rack up some airline miles. Over a matter of weeks, he launched himself to events in Adelaide, Australia, in Auckland, New Zealand, and finally here in Melbourne to play just the second major tournament of his young career.