How college tennis became a Grand Slam incubator and took over the Australian Open‎

MELBOURNE, Australia — Ben Shelton used to be a lonely man after the first couple of rounds at a Grand Slam, the rare college tennis player able to find his way to the business end among the professional lifers and junior prodigies. A lot changes in a few years. During the middle weekend of this Australian Open, Melbourne Park has turned into a convention of former NCAA champions and standouts. There’s Shelton, the 2022 men’s NCAA singles champion, alongside Peyton Stearns, who won the women’s t