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Ben Shelton is Back in his Hard Court Era!

3.2K views 82 replies 28 participants last post by  Phillo  
#1 · (Edited)
Hardy for the party, like a US student loan or medical bill, this thread is beyond overdue!

From clay to grass, holding hard court remains Beneficient’s best surfactant by far. It's only Sheltour's third full season, but the newly ranked World No. 6 and US No. 2, is Plexipaving the way for US men’s tennis. It’s a Har-Tru life for many players, but Beneficial’s game has got plenty Plexicushion for the pushin’. A decoder on the DecoTurf, Benediction’s no layperson on the Laykold, either. 2025 has been Ben's best season thus far across all surfaces. We'll see what he does moving forward.

Results, so far:
Majors: USO '23 SF, AO '25 SF, Wimby '25 QF
Masters: Canada title, 4 QFs
500s: Tokyo '23 title, 2 finals
250: Houston title

2025: consecutive Top 10 wins, 100+ match wins, en route to qualify for Finals
Insane progress, but not frantic or unsustainable. He has a great team around him.
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#3 ·
2 slam semi's reached in his first 10 slams played.

Yet never reached a semi-final in 23 Masters Series contested.. so far.

Interesting... It shows he can lift for the big ones when it matters.

Might have to pencil him in as a soon-to-be champion at a North American masters event in the future I think.
 
#4 ·
Hardy for the party, like a US student loan or medical bill, this thread is beyond overdue!

From clay to grass, holding hard court remains Beneficient’s best surfactant by far. It's only Sheltour's third full season, but the newly ranked World No. 7 and US No. 2, is Plexipaving the way for US men’s tennis. It’s a Har-Tru life for many players, but Beneficial’s game has got plenty Plexicushion for the pushin’. A decoder on the DecoTurf, Benediction’s no layperson on the Laykold, either. 2025 has been Ben's best season thus far across all surfaces. We'll see what he does moving forward.

Results, so far:
Majors: USO '23 SF, AO '25 SF
Masters: Shanghai '23, Cincy '24, & IW '25 QFs
500s: Tokyo '23 title, Basel '24 F, DC SF (2xs)
Shelton picked up the receiver, and the message was clear: "You're no longer on hold for greatness."
 
#8 ·
He is a very good player, and i see him making at least the QFs of the USO. However, he is not beating Sinner there. Wasn't close at wimbledon or at the AO early this year, which is the same surface USO is played on. If he gets on Carlos's side of the draw i can see him maybe pushing for a SF or even a final appearance though. I mean if Fritz could do it last year, surely Ben can this year, a guy who has a higher ceiling than him
 
#9 ·
Independently of whether he gets on Sinner's or Alcaraz's side, he can avoid being in the same quarter as any of them. I agree that a semi certainly would be possible if he gets in either Fritz's or Zverev's quarter (assuming they will defend their ranking spots until USO). Hard to see him push for a final if both Sinner and Alcaraz play at their normal level.
 
#12 ·
Hardy for the party, like a US student loan or medical bill, this thread is beyond overdue!

From clay to grass, holding hard court remains Beneficient’s best surfactant by far. It's only Sheltour's third full season, but the newly ranked World No. 7 and US No. 2, is Plexipaving the way for US men’s tennis. It’s a Har-Tru life for many players, but Beneficial’s game has got plenty Plexicushion for the pushin’. A decoder on the DecoTurf, Benediction’s no layperson on the Laykold, either. 2025 has been Ben's best season thus far across all surfaces. We'll see what he does moving forward.

Results, so far:
Majors: USO '23 SF, AO '25 SF
Masters: Shanghai '23, Cincy '24, & IW '25 QFs
500s: Tokyo '23 title, Basel '24 F, DC SF (2xs)
Wheres all the nicknames? I'm disappointed
 
#16 · (Edited)
Oh, Canada! Fresh off a Washington DC 500 SF run, we get a 65-minute, lunch break, serving exhibition from Shelton in Toronto. Bendy knew he had to serve well, hit his spots, play first strike tennis off the ground, & avoid getting sucked into long rallies where 'Reno can get rhythm. Did just that. 6-2 6-3 Ben broke 3 times. Tidy, Top 10 tennis. Winning the first set was important; something Ben had failed to do in their previous two matches. Revenge for AO '24, a match Ben arguably should've won. He's come a long way & is much more consistent in his 3rd full season.
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#17 ·
What a fiery match! Fils & Shelton won in Canada R1 doubles 4-6 6-3 10-8 in 75 mins. I've been waiting for this dubz pairing forever. Looking to shake off rust ahead of USO, Fils asked Shelton to play doubles. They're tour friends like many guys are with Ben. As with BuBenik, Filton seems like a fun, promising duo. Both have big serves, insane firepower, & aren't afraid to come forward.

It took Fils a bit to start returning with doubles in mind. Some of his return choices were still too singles-oriented. Artur double faulted to hand over a late break in the 1st set. Was not happy about it, but didn't get negative. Shelton was generally the more natural doubles player with a no-nonsense serve. Didn't get broken.

Double specialists low key annoy me. The whole thing comes off as a tennis shortcut / cheat code. They tried targeting Ben for cheap return errors & got some from both guys, but it still wasn't enough for the firepower & resolve of Filton. Match turned in the 2nd set once Filton got the crucial break they were hunting all match. Bentur really leaned into their superior athleticism putting on their running shoes for some amazing defensive gets. Got fired up & stayed there. Withstood the barrage of big serves, overheads, & irksome doubles net play through to the very end.

Funny moments: Up 5-2 in the 2nd set, Filton were casually flexing & comparing their forearm muscles during the changeover. It made me laugh & smile. They just seemed so at ease. During the deciding tiebreak, Shelton made an incredible defensive get & fell over landing perfectly on the player bench. I believe they won the point.
 
#20 ·
I wanted to puke last night watching the Ben and Brian Shelton show with Brian Shelton actually miked for commentary. WTF….the disrespect to Nakashima was awful. I cannot stand Shelton and his over the top celebrations and daddy guiding him through every point, especially with only two titles. Obnoxious! . I hope his ass is kicked sooner than later.
 
#22 ·
Some Shelton Stats

New Career High Ranking of No. 7 (No. 2 American)

Top 3 biggest / fastest backhands on tour in 2025:
1. J. Sinner
2. Ben Shelton
3. F. Cerundolo

ATP Leaderboard
Top 5 Serve (No. 2 American)
Top 20 Under Pressure (No. 1 American)
Top 60s Return (⬆20 spots, 8th American)

 
#28 ·
Some Shelton Stats


ATP Leaderboard
Top 5 Serve (No. 2 American)
Top 20 Under Pressure (No. 1 American)
Top 60s Return (⬆20 spots, 8th American)
That is really the bit he can improve on - his serve is already generally an elite shot. But being top 60s only on return for a top 10 player leaves much to be desired.
 
#24 ·
OP, nobody is feeling your glazing of Ben.
I don't care what people think. I'm already in contact with multiple top players directly including Ben.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Yay, 100 match wins! Tight match but Shel-tru is Top 10 (No. 7) & it shows. 6-4 4-6 7-6 (1) 2 hrs 24mins. H2H 2 all. Through to QFs in both singles & doubles at Canada Masters. Top 8 amongst Gen Z with 100 match wins. Amazing improvements for only his 3rd full season.

Cobolli pissed Shelton off & paid the price in the tiebreak. Then back tracked when Ben pressed him on the issue during handshake & post-match. Admitted to excessive movement during the breaker because he was frustrated with the long match. Also said Bendy deserved the win & it wasn’t personal. Ben10 said, if you say it's not personal, I'll accept it because we're friends.
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#27 ·
Your boy has a tude on court, Cobolli wasnt a fan.
Cobolli attempted to play dirty early in the tiebreak. Ben took umbrage with that & immediately shut the match down. Cobolli even laughed during because he realized he messed up & poked the bear. Ben pressed him for an explanation after. Flavor Flavio admitted to his actions chalking it up to stress & a desire to win. Ben was like, okay fine, I thought we were friends, but don't try to play dirty against me.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Make that 101 wins!
101 dalmatians dogs GIF by Disney

World No. 7, Semi-Shelton, enters “uncharted territory” by claiming his 6th Top 10 win & 12th SF, but his first at Masters level (finally!). Bests De Minaur 6-3 6-4 in 91 mins. “A lot of guys see me as just a server.” Broke DM 3xs & won the 9+ rallies 12-7. Top 2 Americans, Fritz & Shelton, will face off in the SF. First time since 2010. 👍🏽👏🏽💪🏽🎾🇺🇸 Shelton is the youngest American Masters 1000 semi-finalist in two decades. ATP article.
 
#33 ·
102 wins!
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"Even more uncharted territory. Humble & hungry." Ben Shelton is through to his maiden Masters final. Besting compatriot Fritz 6-4 6-3 in 78 mins. Broke 3xs. H2H 1 all. Bravo!

The first SF went overly long & then a protracted ELC delay caused them to leave the court & re-warm up upon return. Conscientious of the clock & his opponent, Ben subsequently produced a no-nonsense performance against the in-form Fritz who after weeks of high level serving seemed to be experiencing slight discomfort with his right External abdominal oblique muscles during two changeovers.

Fritz tried a copy & paste approach, but what worked against Ruby failed spectacularly against Shelton. Why? Ben is a more complete player than Angrey who Ben incidentally also beat in 2024 (Basel). In short, Ben's serve, forehand, backhand, & net game all withstood Fritz who struggled to handle Shelton's pace, variety, & consistency. Ben wasn't overawed by the occasion or Fritz's ranking. Ben knows he is the future of American men's tennis & remains focused on positioning himself to contend for Slams. Prima primae, deliver at the Masters.

As I already stated elsewhere, Shelton has the superior serve (especially 2nd), is a better athlete / mover, has bigger weapons, is more comfortable at net, & has X-factor. All of which have come to the forefront this 2025 season & specifically now during the Canada Masters. Shelton will face off against Karen in the Final. Their second hard court match in 2025. We'll see what happens in a matter of hours...

 
#35 ·
I get fans just make random hype threads like this but I have to pass and say great win by Shelton winning his first Masters...we'll see if he can reach maybe the Final in the US Open after this fantastic run.
 
#36 ·
I get fans just make random hype threads like this
Lol, not exactly random. It's a surface specific, tidier, & more efficient way for me to track winning progress compared to generating a plethora of threads for every single match played each season at every level. Thanks for the positive vibes. The final was stressful, but highly worth it. Had to break out the tequila and some old school gospel music during the 2nd & 3rd sets. Ben played so well across all 8 matches in singles & doubles. Coming into the final, Shelton was rated ahead of Karen on serve & return quality. In the end, it showed.
 
#37 · (Edited)
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"Surreal feeling... my best tennis came out when it mattered most.”

Now 3/5 in finals. Tokyo 500 (2023), Houston 250 (2024), Canada Masters (2025). New career high ranking of World No. 6 & now 4th in the Race to Turin for ATP Finals. 13th American champion in Canada & the youngest since Andy Roddick. Shelton is the 6th lefty to win Canada Masters. Joins Laver, McEnroe, & Nadal. Wow.

ATP: Canada Final | ATP: Hungry for More
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Ben entered the Canada final leading in serve and return quality stats. From 2nd set, Ben was hitting his backhand harder than Karen. Deep into the 3rd, they were tied for 95 points won.
To paraphrase the HoF tennis greats: You win the biggest titles with your mind before you win them with your body.

"I'm trying!" Ben exclaimed to his dad, frustrated that so many shots continued to sail long. As soon as Shelton heard Mboko had won the Montreal final, the match turned. Ben became much more aggressive. Alas, he didn't break in that game & lost the opening set in the tiebreak. It didn't matter, after a nervy start, he found the mental fire to fight. You could see him inspired to keep the Canada Masters title with the young, fresh North Americans.

In the 2nd set, Bryan gently suggested what I and the commentators could see: Ben needed to move closer to the baseline & get forward. When guys hit really big from the baseline: take it earlier, hold tighter to baseline, look to move forward, & keep them moving. The Medvedev strategy of sitting farther back doesn't even work for Danil these days. Ben agreed. With that strategic shift, the match would turn physically.

Not so fastidious; ELC poutine problems abound, again! Audio issues prevented aural faults on Karen's wide serve. Ben & Karen got agitated. Murphy had to talk them both down. The crowd got impatient with the hold up & booed Ben before realizing something larger was afoot. Shelton sportingly offered Karen a manager's discount: multiple 1st serves due to the delay & didn't get pissed when Special K managed to hold.

Both guys were feeling it physically in the 3rd set. Knee Bend early on & K-Mart later as the end neared. Ben remained calm, trusted his father's coaching, & saved his best serves for bossing the deciding tiebreak as he did against Cobolli.

The speeches were lovely. "Gentle giant" Karen, warmly reiterated the praise players & pundits have often expressed towards Ben & his team. A stark contrast to the online haters still sipping the geriatric Ensure of USO SF drama from 2023.

After Ben Shelton won, he was putting medals around the necks of ball kids as is customary. As he reached the end of the line, a boy connected with Ben over their curly hair. They touched & compared their curls & chatted. Ben gave him a pat as he walked away for photos. Representation is part of inspiration.

Before the Fritz SF match, I offered some brief, specific feedback which Ben utilized in that match & the final. Yes, I got teary during the final, but not when you might expect. It was during the 2nd set when I could feel the comeback underway. Then the fiery late break happened and the rest was history.

Final Snacks: pretzels, then chocolate ice cream, & finally something healthier for hope: clementines. Stress eating, indeed. Drinks: 1st set I had pomegranate wine. Too weak, as Shelton lost. 2nd & 3rd sets required tequila. Needed something stronger to get across the finish line. Music: Mahalia Jackson during the 2nd & 3rd sets. Only old school gospel was strong enough to meet the moment.


 
#39 ·
Yes, congrats to Shelton. Now bring these performances to matches against Sinner and Alcaraz and we'll have the new, very decent challenger of currently the very best 2 players in the world.
 
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