ATP Tour

Shelton retires against Mannarino at US Open with 'worst ever pain'

Ben Shelton’s US Open came to an end in the third round on Friday when he was forced to retire against Adrian Mannarino with the score level at two sets apiece.

After winning an epic set point to clinch the third, during which he took a tumble to the ground, Shelton began to feel sharp pain in his left shoulder in the opening game of the fourth. After saving a break point, the 22-year-old American signalled distress to his father and coach Bryan Shelton.

Although he did hold serve, he was forced to take a medical timeout three points into the ensuing game, later claiming to his box that it was the “worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life”. The No. 6 player in the PIF ATP Rankings continued on, but was visibly hindered as he attempted to rush the net on almost every point, a significant shift to the gruelling baseline exchanges the pair had enjoyed throughout the first three sets.

At the end of the fourth set, Shelton retired with the score at 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6.

The result is a huge blow for Shelton, who was aiming to strengthen his push for American No. 1, currently held by last year’s finalist and World No. 5 Taylor Fritz. Amid a career-best season, highlighted by winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto earlier this month, Shelton is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and hoping to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals in November.

A potential blockbuster quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz was also looming for Shelton, who achieved his best result in New York in 2023 before falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. The American owns a 37-18 tour-level record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

“When he started to have pain, he was leading in the match,” Mannarino said in his on-court interview. “Honestly, he probably would’ve won that match. That’s unfortunate for him, and lucky for me. I don’t really know what to say right now. I’m happy to be through but I wish him the best, of course.”

Not the way we wanted it to end...

Shelton is forced to retire before the 5th set and Mannarino advances to the next round.

Wishing you a speedy recovery! @BenShelton @usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/m31Vh7LwHd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 29, 2025

Into the US Open fourth round for the first time in his career, Mannarino will face a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with 20th seed Jiri Lehecka, who earlier eased past Raphael Collignon 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Prior to reaching the Wimbledon third round in June, Mannarino had just two tour-level wins to his name in 2025 and was as low as World No. 145 in March. The 37-year-old has since made the fourth round in Cincinnati, where he tested Jannik Sinner in two tight sets, and has climbed to No. 70 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“I’m just trying… I’m 37 years old and it’s the first time I’m winning a match from the toilet,” joked Mannarino. “There’s always new things coming up and I’m just enjoying my time on the court. I hope I can extend it for a little while.

Before Shelton was forced to retire for the first time in his tour-level career, Mannarino tested the recent Toronto champion through four gripping sets. The Frenchman pulled the sixth seed away from his tradition first-strike brand of tennis and into entertaining baseline rallies. But after three hours and seven minutes, took the advice from his father Bryan to end the match.

“I was having good fun on the court, there were some really long rallies,” said Mannarino. “I was losing some, winning some, but I think it was a really cool match to play. Ben is playing really well, he kicked my ass at the beginning of the summer, but it was a great match. I was enjoying it, even if I was losing, it was a pretty cool match.”

Jan-Lennard Struff upset two-time US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) to reach the fourth round in New York for the first time and equal his best result at a major tournament. In a dramatic finish, the German failed to serve out the match at 5-3 in the third set before saving a set point in the tie-break en route to a two-hour and 10-minute victory.

Tiafoe, who was defeated by countryman Fritz in last year’s semi-final, has dropped 12 spots to No. 29 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings following his third-round exit. The former World No. 10 leaves New York with a 26-19 record on the season.

“I think everybody knows it’s tough to serve out a match,” Struff said in his on-court interview. “I think I played a very bad game there, three double faults, but I stayed very calm and managed to get some energy back, so I’m happy with that. [It was] an incredible match. I think I played very good tennis today.”

Having come through qualifying to reach the fourth round, Struff awaits a clash with four-time winner Novak Djokovic or British No. 2 Cameron Norrie.