although Ben Shelton dropped his first two matches at the ATP Finals in Turin, the American could still be looking at what has been his best season as a professional when it all comes to an end later this week.
Shelton, who made his Top 10 and Top 5 debuts this year (the latter on Monday), also made his ATP Finals debut this week, as the youngest American to compete on the court since Andy Roddick in 2004.
And then there’s the left. Shelton joins Rafael Nadal and Jack Draper as one of three men to crack the ATP top 5 since the turn of the century – a remarkable feat
There is more upside for Shelton, who is still only 23 years old and is considered to still have untapped potential. As crazy as it sounds, Shelton is the 17th left-hander to ever reach the Top 5 in the ATP rankings, dating back to 1973. If you’re scoring at home, five of those 17 – Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Thomas Muster, Marcelo Rios and Nadal – didn’t make it.
Could Shelton one day become No.6?
For now, he is more interested in ending his season with a win in Turin.
Asked to rate his season, Shelton seemed to hint at the potential untapped story in his game without saying as much.
“I think if I rated it from 1 to 10, maybe 8 out of 10, 7 or 8,” he said. “I’ve made great improvements and strides from last year.”
Shelton, who suffered major disappointment in the final tournament of 2025 when he had to withdraw from the third round of the US Open with a shoulder injury, admits he hasn’t really found his A-game since then.
“What I did post the US Open I wasn’t happy with,” he said. “But the pace I found in the first three quarters of the year was really good.”
Shelton found his stride during the summer of a season that saw him win his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto and reach another major semi-final at the Australian Open.
“I’m a guy who gets into a really good rhythm when I play a lot of games,” he said. “I had a lot of clarity this summer about how to play: shot tolerance, what shot to play at certain times. I had a lot of clarity about what my identity was on the court, how I was going to win, my winning formula. I’m still looking for that a little bit right now.”
Shelton reiterated that he is not firing on all cylinders this month and expressed frustration with the current status of his forehand after he fell to Felix Auger-Aliassime in three tight sets on Wednesday.
“These last four tournaments of the year – Shanghai, Basel, Paris, (London) – have been the hardest for me trying to find that ‘wow’ feeling that all the guys I’ve played have been in shape and playing great tennis, competing well,” he said. “Just some things that feel very uncomfortable that at this point in the year can’t happen.
“For me this week, it’s been my forehand, which is usually a money shot for me, the money maker. The first ball after the serve, things that have been a little bit off that make it frustrating.”
Shelton’s biggest problem on paper is his performance against the Top 3. He fell to 0-15 lifetime against players ranked in the ATP’s top three in his loss to Alexander Zverev on Monday. He will have a chance to create his biggest career win when he faces Jannik Sinner in his final round match on Friday.
No matter what happens, Shelton will continue his work to improve all aspects while allowing his defeats to drive him.
“For me it’s just getting back to work no matter how things end up here,” he said. “Be proud of the season I had and the things I accomplished. Let go of the things I couldn’t accomplish and didn’t get to do. Just be a motivation for me for next year.”
