Rising American tennis star Ben Shelton is returning to the ASB Classic after a breakout year that saw him go from a world ranking of 96 to 17.
The 21-year-old has been handed a wildcard after playing in Auckland in January, making it to the second round where he lost to Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Following the ASB Classic, Shelton went on to reach the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and clinched a semi-final spot at the US Open, losing to world number one Novak Djokovic.
He finished the year strongly, winning the Laver Cup with Team World and clinching his first ATP Tour Title in Tokyo.
The ASB men’s tournament begins on January 8.
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