ATP Tour

Shelton on shoulder injury: 'I've never felt anything like this'

A disappointed Ben Shelton, who was forced to retire from his third-round US Open match against Adrian Mannarino Friday, did not shed much light on the injury he said he began feeling early in the fourth set.

“Usually I'll play through anything and just find a way,” said Shelton, who retired when Mannarino leveled the match at two sets all. “And whether it's sickness or injury, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I’ve never felt anything like this before, so that was kind of tough, I guess the uncertainty.”

What was clear was the amount of pain the sixth seed was in. The big-serving lefty resorted to slicing his forehand at times and whenever the home favourite attempted to hit a topspin forehand, he visibly winced.

“Really high,” Shelton said of the level of pain he experienced. “I never retired before. I'm not a guy who would retire if I could continue.”

The 22-year-old made clear he did not enter the match with an injury and that he could not pinpoint when he hurt himself. Shelton received multiple visits from the physiotherapist in the hopes of alleviating the pain. They did not discuss potential longterm impact on his shoulder, which “is obviously complex”, he said.

“I was just trying to adjust and figure out whatever I can to keep competing,” Shelton said. “Even though I was in pain, I was just in that competitive mindset of trying to find a way and push through it, so it was not really a thought in my mind.”

Shelton led the match two sets to one and was carrying plenty of momentum after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto. At a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the 2023 semi-finalist was playing as well as ever until his injury at the season’s final major.

“I’ve got a lot to be grateful for. Been pretty fortunate with my life; blessings, talents, a lot of things God's given me,” Shelton said. “A small setback like this, yeah, it hurts. I was playing really well, I was in form, a lot of confidence. Just so many things to be happy with the way that I was playing, moving on the court, competing.

“But like I said, it's been a great summer, a lot of things to be thankful for. You won't hear me over here pouting about how bad things are with the summer that I've had, the things that I've been able to do in this sport in a short amount of time and the people I’ve got around me. Like I said, a lot of blessings.”

Shelton, who is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. In addition to his Toronto victory, he made the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and the fourth round at Roland Garros.