Australian tennis champion coach Roger Rasheed bit off more than he could chew at the Australian Open on Monday when an attempted dad joke went wrong.
Rasheed was tasked with interviewing rising American star Ben Shelton after he advanced to the quarterfinals following a victory over veteran French star Gael Monfils.
Monfils retired due to exhaustion when he lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (7-3) 6-6 (7-2) 1-0.
Rasheed, famous for coaching Lleyton Hewitt, also spent time mentoring Monfils, 38, during his playing career.
Shelton and Monfils have also established a powerful bromance on the world tennis circuit, prompting Rasheed to poke fun at the age difference between the two good friends.
But it all backfired spectacularly.
Ben Shelton and Roger Rasheed saw the funny side of their interaction over Shelton and Gael Monfils' bromance.
Shelton's father, Bryan Fletcher, was also seen laughing at the joke on the court.
'He's an entertainer, what does he mean to you? He's almost your father,' Rasheed said, ironically referring to the age difference between the two.
'Not really, sorry Bryan (father and coach Bryan Shelton). You stay there, I'll get to you.
'Tell us a little about Gael.'
However, what Shelton said in response made Rasheed firmly on the defensive.
'Was it a black joke?' Shelton said with a wide smile.
“I'm not sure, I'm not sure,” Rasheed stammered as the crowd groaned.
As Shelton's father laughed at his son's response, Rasheed said, “Let's not go there.”
Shelton helped clear the air in his post-match press conference, saying he had no problem with Rasheed or the interview.
Shelton and Monfils are very close friends, despite their age difference.
Shelton, pictured with his coach and father Bryan, is a rising star and has reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
'No, no, the guy just said, 'He's old enough to be your dad.' Then he made a comment: 'Oh, maybe he's your dad,' Shelton said.
“It was probably just a stupid comment that I shouldn't have said, but I thought it was funny at the time,” Shelton said.
—I don't think so… I hope the guy didn't take it in any way. I know my dad thought it was really funny. But yeah, I guess I apologize for that.
'No, I didn't take it at all. I know he didn't; He probably didn't mean it with me. I hope he didn't mean that in any way.
“I guess I should probably keep my mouth shut more.”
But many tennis fans felt Shelton had nothing to apologize for.
“It's crazy that he even felt the need to apologize, I thought it was obvious he was joking,” one posted.
“For anyone about to get weird about this, Ben was asked about it at his press conference and clarified that he was joking and assumed the other person was too, he even apologized and said he should keep his mouth shut. more, but that “Everything was fun and happy,” added another.
'How is this shame? These types of relaxed, joking on-court interviews happen at every tournament. Especially when you have someone with Shelton's personality,' another fan commented.
Others said there was a cultural divide in the exchange, and that Shelton's joke was more commonly understood in the United States than in Australia.
'This is the ultimate American humor hahaha. 'Why because I'm black?' Make the other person squirm,” one fan noted.
“As a black person, I still make jokes like this to my non-black friends and live for their reactions,” another added.
This is not the first time Shelton has been involved in issues related to race.
In 2024, Shelton and Frances Tiafoe's attitudes were questioned after early exits from the Australian Open, with fans claiming the intense scrutiny was “anti-black”.
“I'm not sure if it's racism, lack of experience in competitive sports, just being a hater or a combination of all three, but the hate that Ben and Frances feel for simply bringing a mentality to tennis that doesn't fit Eastern Europeans. The stereotype of stoicism is the ultimate behavior of a loser,” reads a post on X.
'Pearl-clutching reactions to Frances Tiafoe/Ben Shelton are blatantly anti-Black: 'Smug,' 'brat,' 'put them in their place/humiliate them,' 'NBA'? Yes, you would like the attitude to match the results, but many of them are vitriolic. Unhinged behavior,” posted another.
Shelton paid tribute to his good friend Monfils after the French star's Australian Open victory ended in the worst way possible.
“I've been watching him since I was a kid,” Shelton said.
“He has the best reel of all time and you all have to see it tonight.”
'He's a great guy.
'At 38 (years old), I hope to continue walking without crutches.
“It's very impressive to push myself like he did today and entertain in New Zealand and Australia like he has for the last two weeks.
“I hope I can create some memories like that at that age because it's really special and unheard of in the sport.”
And Monfils also shared the affection, honoring his good friend and rival.
“I love Ben, I love him,” Monfils said in his post-match press conference.
'This kid is amazing. He is full of energy. He's a great guy. Great guy.
“It's always a shame to play someone you love. But we put in the fighting spirit.
That's why I wanted to make it difficult for him. But in the end, you know, of course I support him now.
“He's a guy that I really appreciate spending time with, talking to, and sharing everything we love.
“And he's just an amazing kid.”
Shelton, 22, will face Lorenzo Sonego, who ensured there would be two Italian men's quarterfinalists at the Australian Open for the second time.