Ben Shelton reflected on his season, sharing that it hasn’t been a linear journey. Finding his rhythm in the latter half of the year has always been integral to his performance. After a brief stint at the Swiss Indoors, Shelton is set to head to the Paris Masters, hoping to build momentum.
At the US Open, Shelton was in contention for his maiden Grand Slam breakthrough. However, his hopes were dashed in the third round when he suffered a left shoulder injury, forcing him to retire from his match against Adrian Mannarino. He made his return at the Shanghai Masters but struggled to find his pace, committing 22 unforced errors and exiting in the opening round. Similarly, at the Swiss Indoors, Shelton suffered a second-round defeat at the hands of Jaume Munar, who delivered his best performance of the season and broke into the top 40.
Shelton’s road to the ATP Finals has been fraught with challenges. Nevertheless, the American remains optimistic about finding his rhythm in the remaining tournaments, emphasizing that tennis isn’t a linear sport. In an interview on Tennis TV, the 23-year-old reflected on his season:
“For me, it hasn’t been all straightforward. It hasn’t been just winning all the time. There have been times where I’ve played really well, and times where I haven’t played so well and had to get myself out of a slump. I think that’s just tennis. It’s a roller coaster. For me to be able to find my great tennis more consistently later in the year has always been a great thing for me.”
This year, Shelton won his first ATP 1000 title and his third career title at the Canadian Open. His achievement marked a significant milestone, coming two decades after American Andy Roddick made strides at Indian Wells in 2005.
Ben Shelton has had significant success on the court, skyrocketing from No. 21 at the start of the season to a career-high No. 6 in the rankings following his Canadian Open triumph. As he heads into the year-end championships, Shelton stressed the importance of continuous improvement in tennis.
“Improving on the tennis court is integral because if you don’t keep improving, you get passed. There are so many good young players and talent coming in and making a name for themselves. So for me, I’ve just tried to get better and make my level better year after year, and that’s what I’m focused on,” he said.
With his sights set on the Paris Masters and beyond, Shelton aims to harness his late-season form and continue his rise in the tennis world.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-it-hasn-t-just-winning-time-ben-shelton-gets-honest-slumps-rollercoaster-2025-season-paris-masters