“Roddick gives advice to Shelton after defeat at the French Open.”

Andy Roddick has issued a stark warning to Ben Shelton: to reach the top three in the world, the young American urgently needs to change his approach on the court. Following his surprising early exit from the French Open, the former world number one did not hesitate to point out the flaws that are hindering the progress of the young tennis prospect.

Ben Shelton, who had previously shown remarkable progress – with five quarter-finals in Grand Slam tournaments – was clearly defeated by Belgian Raphael Collignon, losing in straight sets (6-4, 7-5, 6-4) and completely failing to create any break opportunities. The 23-year-old American won 18 points fewer, with an alarming record on points won on his opponent’s serve: only 19%, compared to 33% for Collignon. Additionally, unforced errors doubled in comparison to his opponent, highlighting weaknesses beyond his powerful serve.

For Roddick, the problem does not lie in Shelton’s physical capacity – “Ben is a horse, he is built to withstand the wear and tear” – but rather in the lack of tactical variation and endurance in long rallies. The former champion argues that Shelton should start extending points and testing his opponent, something he did not do in Paris. “You should never open up a match by giving your opponent rhythm. It was a mistake I made several times. If it’s not working and we have four sets to correct it, let’s try to wear down the opponent, because Ben has the stamina for that,” he explained in the latest edition of the podcast Served.

Roddick emphasizes that Shelton gave in too much to the predictable plays of the Belgian, who was exploiting his forehand, pulling him to the opposite side, while the young American responded by forcing balls inside the line, trying to break the pattern but without success. “If your opponent’s pattern doesn’t bother you and doesn’t wear you out, he gains confidence and that completely changes the dynamic of the match.”

Currently, Shelton is ranked fifth in the ATP rankings, just 220 points behind fourth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime. However, the threat of losing positions is real, as Alex de Minaur and Novak Djokovic could overtake him if they advance to the second week of the French Open. The gap to Alexander Zverev in third is considerable, around 1,500 points, which underscores the need for constant improvement for the young American.

With this bitter defeat, Ben Shelton now faces a crossroads in his career: to remain in a comfort zone or to implement the crucial changes pointed out by Roddick in order to establish himself among the best in the world. The future of American tennis may depend on this decision.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.