ATP Tour

Box office Ben: The secret behind Shelton’s impressive major record

When the spotlight shines brightest, Ben Shelton delivers.

Since bursting onto the Grand Slam scene three years ago at the US Open, the 22-year-old American powerhouse has proven time and again that the biggest stages fuel his best tennis, reaching the second week at all four majors. This week, Shelton is at it once again at Wimbledon, where he is into the quarter-finals for the first time.

“I play best at the majors. Probably part atmosphere. I love playing on the big stages,” said Shelton, who experienced raucous crowds when playing college tennis at the University of Florida. “I love playing the big matches. I love competing in front of big crowds. It's just everything about it is special for me. It makes it the most fun. I love the long format. I think it helps me find my best tennis. I find myself playing better and better as the sets and matches go on. I think all those things accumulate to me having my best results at Slams.”

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Shelton’s major stats speak volumes: an impressive 30-11 record translates to a rock-solid 73 per cent win rate at the four majors. That includes semi-final runs at the 2023 US Open and January’s Australian Open, plus a fourth-round showing at Roland Garros. And now, after dispatching Lorenzo Sonego, he faces Jannik Sinner in a mouth-watering Wimbledon quarter-final.

While Shelton’s ATP Tour record is strong (64 per cent wins), his major results stack up with the elite. Among players inside the Top 20, only Novak Djokovic (88 per cent), Carlos Alcaraz (86 per cent), Sinner (80 per cent) and Alexander Zverev (74 per cent) boast higher Slam win percentages than Shelton.

“I love the format. You have so much time to figure things out on the court. It’s not like you’re up against a clock and you have to figure it out quickly. You lose a set, you lose two sets, and you still feel like you have a very good chance,” Shelton said. “I feel like I usually play my best tennis in the fourth or fifth set. So for me I always feel going into these tournaments that I’m in good physical shape.

“Once I get deep in the match, I really like my chances because of the rhythm that I get in. I feel like I serve better late in the match, I return better as the match goes on. Having that amount of time to figure things out is really important for me.”

Win percentage of Top 10 players at majors

Shelton’s slam battles have also shaped some intriguing rivalries, especially with fellow Americans Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe. With both men, Shelton is 1-1 at majors, including memorable wins against them during his 2023 US Open run.

“He is one of those players that plays his best tennis on the biggest stages and that’s a quality that all the best players have,” Paul told ATPTour.com when asked about Shelton. “You want play your best at Slams, you want to play your best on stadium courts against the top three players in the world, and he seems to do that.

“Looking back at the match at Roland Garros with him and Alcaraz, I thought that was an unbelievable match. I was playing the winner of that match. Just watching how Ben played him, I was very impressed. I think grass is probably the one that takes the most time to get adjusted to and how to learn how to play on, but he is getting there on it and I think he can really play on everything. He is a great player, he is so powerful and that’s such good energy and charisma on the court.”

Last month, Shelton cracked the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time. Tiafoe is not surprised by the progress his countryman and friend has made.

“I am happy for him. I have had great battles with him. He is a hell of a player. He rises to the occasion, loves it,” Tiafoe said to ATPTour.com. “He is going to be a great player for a long time and he is always going to be a danger when he is locked in. It is great he is in the Top 10 and I am trying to get back in myself and hopefully I can join him and we can both be in the Top 10. We have a good relationship and I am really happy for him.”

Now, all eyes turn to Shelton’s next big test: a quarter-final showdown against World No. 1 Sinner. Confident and hungry, Shelton is ready to prove once again why he’s one of the brightest rising stars on Tour.