ATP Tour

Prizmic topples Shelton in 3-hour Madrid thriller

Dino Prizmic continued to turn potential into promise on Friday at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he stunned World No. 6 Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) for the biggest win of his career.

The 20-year-old Croatian qualifier combined relentless power with athleticism, striking cleanly from the baseline while showcasing sharp defensive instincts. Shelton, riding a five-match winning streak after his Munich triumph, mounted a valiant push, but Prizmic regrouped in style to reach the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.

QUALIFER ➡️ THIRD ROUND 👊

Dino Prizmic records his first-ever Top 10 win by defeating No. 4 seed Shelton in a thriller!@MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/EMhGwQGUXZ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 24, 2026

“It means a lot,” Prizmic said. “Today was a very hard match for me and I just tried to play my game, stay focused every point and it definitely worked today. I’m working a lot with my team to stay calm on the important points, but he [Shelton] is No. 6 in the world… I was waiting for my chances, and I took them in the end.”

Shelton offset 44 unforced errors by striking 44 winners to spark hopes of a comeback. Yet Prizmic — the 2023 Roland Garros boys’ champion — refused to let his level dip, finding an extra gear in the final-set tie-break to secure his first Top 10 win after three hours.

Prizmic’s promise has been evident for some time, having notably taken a set off Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open and qualified for last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. This week in Madrid, however, the Croatian is beginning to fully deliver on that potential, earning wins over former finalist Matteo Berrettini and American No. 1 Shelton.

Despite Shelton generating plenty of high-energy exchanges — particularly in the second set — Prizmic remained composed and assertive. The Croatian absorbed pressure effectively while continuing to strike with authority, and notably did not face a break point throughout the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Having broken into the Top 100 for the first time last week, Prizmic has now climbed to No. 77 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings with his run in Madrid. He will next face reigning Rio de Janeiro champion Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Prizmic could play Arthur Fils in the fourth round. The Frenchman, who won the title last week in Barcelona, battled past Ignacio Buse 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-5. The World No. 25 Fils next meets Emilio Nava.

Earlier, Lorenzo Musetti continued his return to form with a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Hubert Hurkacz, improving to 3-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The Italian retired when leading Djokovic by two sets to love in the Australian Open quarter-finals and is competing in just his fourth event since his injury struggles.

Following opening-round defeats in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, Musetti reached the quarter-finals in Barcelona last week to ignite hopes of a resurgence. His second-round win over Hurkacz on Friday was a reminder of the level he is capable of producing in Madrid, where he reached the semi-finals last year amid a stunning clay-court stretch.

Musetti, down to No. 10 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, will next meet Tallon Griekspoor, who eased past Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-4.

Barcelona champion extended his run of form by clawing past Ignacio Buse 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-5. The Frenchman, on a six-match winning streak, will next face Emilio Nava, who upset 14th seed Valentin Vacherot 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 7-5.