ATP Tour

Shelton hungry for more after Toronto triumph: 'I'm going to push to work harder'

Ben Shelton became the sixth player born in the 2000s to win an ATP Masters 1000 title when he triumphed on Thursday night at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

While comparisons to former Toronto champion Jannik Sinner were drawn, Shelton made it clear in his post-match press conference that he’s focused on carving out his own path and drive for consistency.

“I think everyone has a different path. Everyone's story is written differently. I've kind of done it my way,” Shelton said. “There's been a lot of guys to look up to, just because how young they have been when they have broken through and have had so much success at big tournaments. Tennis seems to be a sport that has young champions all the time, which is not common or normal, it's ultra impressive.

“I hope that this week kind of kick starts me and gets me more consistent with the type of tennis that I want to play day-in and day-out. It's certainly going to push me to work harder. I feel like I have a good grasp now on the things that really work for me against guys who are playing some of the best tennis in the world, and the things that I need to continue to work on.”

Masters 1000 champions born in 2000s

Shelton battled past Karen Khachanov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) in the final, becoming the youngest American to win a Masters 1000 title in over two decades. His run to the trophy also included impressive wins against Top 10 stars Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz. He is up to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings and fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, significantly boosting his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time.

A key figure in Shelton’s rise has been his father, coach and former pro Bryan Shelton. The lefty credits their relationship and the balance they’ve struck between honesty and trust as crucial to his success.

“He doesn't sugarcoat things, he's honest. I think I take things well from him because I respect the career he had as a player, I respect him as a coach and I respect him as my dad,” Shelton said. “He respects me in the same way. I know that he has a great tennis mind, he respects my tennis mind and my independence, knowing that he can let me go in the big moments and just let me play my game.

"But he does a great job of injecting little bits and pieces throughout the match that help me. So I think the respect is one thing that helps a lot. Then it is just the kind of coaching, coach/player model that we have works really well.”

The last man standing 🤩@NBOtoronto | #NBO25 pic.twitter.com/2kL4tyo1mc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 8, 2025

Shelton is 32-16 on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and has been in red-hot form since the start of Wimbledon. The 22-year-old reached the quarters at the grass-court major, the semi-finals in Washington and then lifted his third and biggest tour-level trophy in Toronto.

One shift that has driven his recent improvement? A greater emphasis on scouting and strategy.

“I think that watching films [has been] a huge piece for me and something that I didn't do as much in the past. As of late, it's been an every-match thing for me, at least watching one match or one set start to finish on the guy I'm playing,” Shelton said.

“I think it's an important piece of the game that maybe I overlooked a little bit in the past, or didn't think was as important, because I was like, I'm going to impose my game on whoever I was playing. But it's a really important part of the game. I think that my tennis IQ and my tennis mind is something that is getting better and something that needs to continue to get better.”

Shelton will next compete at the Cincinnati Open, where he will face Kei Nishikori or Camilo Ugo Carabelli in his opening match this weekend.