Ben Shelton’s Sister Gets Wimbledon Extension After Viral Plea
Wimbledon’s feel-good story of the tournament unfolded Saturday when American star Ben Shelton successfully campaigned for his sister Emma to extend her London stay—with investment bank Morgan Stanley granting her extra time off to support her brother’s historic run.
After his straight-sets victory over Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics (6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2) propelled him into the second week, the 22-year-old made an impassioned plea during his Centre Court interview. “My sister’s been my lucky charm here,” said the 10th-seeded Shelton, gesturing to his box where Emma sat alongside parents Bryan and Lisa Shelton, and girlfriend Trinity Rodman of the USWNT. “But she’s supposed to be back at Morgan Stanley on Monday.”
The crowd erupted in sympathetic boos as Emma, a financial analyst, buried her face in her hands. Shelton then turned lobbyist: “If anyone here has connections to get her a few extra days off so we can keep this rolling, that’d be great!”
The appeal went viral within hours—with Morgan Stanley executives apparently among those watching. By evening, Emma posted celebratory Instagram footage showing her jumping with joy while her brother cheered, “Shoutout Morgan Stanley!” Her caption—”thank you MS 💙💙💙 return flight: cancelled”—confirmed the banking giant had granted her request.
The heartwarming moment capped a breakthrough Wimbledon for Shelton, who’s now matched his career-best Grand Slam performance after semifinal runs at the 2023 US Open and 2024 Australian Open. His sister’s presence has clearly been motivational—she’s attended every match during his charge to the fourth round, where he’ll face Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego on Monday.
“This isn’t just my journey,” Shelton emphasized post-match, praising his tight-knit support team. The former Florida Gator star comes from tennis royalty—his father Bryan coached the University of Florida men’s team to two NCAA titles before guiding Ben’s professional career.
As social media celebrated the sibling storyline, Morgan Stanley earned unexpected PR points for their flexibility. Meanwhile, Emma Shelton gets to continue her courtside cheerleading duties—with her brother now just three wins from potentially making more family history at the All England Club.
