Ben Shelton is revolutionizing tennis on clay and sending a clear warning to the competition! After winning the title at the BMW Open in Munich, the young American has shown unwavering confidence and a remarkable adaptation to a surface traditionally dominated by European specialists. Sam Querrey and Coco Vandeweghe have praised the progress of the 23-year-old player, highlighting his ability to shine even in the most challenging conditions, just days before the second Grand Slam of the year, Roland Garros.
After an early exit at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, Shelton vowed to turn things around and began his European clay court swing with an impressive display in Munich. It wasn’t easy: he won tough battles against Emilio Nava, Alexander Blockx, and João Fonseca, before decisively dispatching qualifier Alex Molcan to secure a consecutive spot in the final. While Alexander Zverev was his nemesis last year, this time it was Flavio Cobolli who prevented him from repeating the feat, setting the stage for an epic showdown between Shelton and Cobolli. The American used his powerful serve to dominate the Italian opponent and claim his fifth ATP title, the second on clay in three finals contested.
For Sam Querrey, Shelton’s performance was not surprising: “Nothing new, really. His style is this: he can lose early in some tournaments, but he doesn’t get shaken. He’s a top player. He bounces back from those losses and is going to win important titles and have deep runs in major tournaments.” Querrey also highlights the young player’s achievements, with three ATP 500 titles to his name, a runner-up finish in Munich last year, and reaching the quarter-finals of Roland Garros in 2023. “Particularly in the biggest events, his game elevates to another level,” he adds.
The absence of many Americans in Munich only added more value to the achievement. “He did an incredible job in a tournament where Americans rarely play,” Querrey commented. “He had a tough start against Emilio Nava, but then he dominated the semi-finals and the final, winning in straight sets.”
Coco Vandeweghe explained the rarity of American presence on the European clay court circuit: “It’s cold, the surface is heavy and slow. For an American to win on this kind of clay, where specialists dominate, is impressive. Ben showed up and won playing their game.”
Shelton has demonstrated that he knows how to adapt to adverse conditions, unlike the following Masters 1000 events. “It’s not like Madrid, where the altitude speeds up the ball, or Rome, where the heat makes the clay faster. At Roland Garros, there are cold days with heavy, slow clay — and he showed that he can play in those conditions,” Vandeweghe analyzed.
As for the prospects for Roland Garros, Querrey highlights Shelton’s secret weapon: “When he serves at 140 mph on a hard court, the ball maintains that speed on clay. He has a serve with great spin and, being left-handed, opponents naturally step back. He isn’t afraid to attack the net, which is rare.”
But the secret to his success goes beyond technique: “He has an inner confidence, a ‘swagger’. Even before the tournament, he didn’t seem full of confidence due to the previous weeks, but he believes he can win whenever he steps on the court, and that makes all the difference.”
Although clay is not his favorite surface, Shelton is evolving and adapting quickly. Preparing for the upcoming challenges at the Madrid Open and Rome Open, where he will continue to fine-tune his game, the American has already shown consistent progress at Roland Garros over the past three years — reaching the first, third, and fourth rounds, respectively.
“There’s no reason not to believe that this year can go even further, especially after what he did in Munich,” concludes Sam Querrey, reinforcing Ben Shelton’s status as one of the figures to watch closely in the upcoming Roland Garros. The young American talent is proving that he has everything to dominate the clay courts and leave his mark on the biggest stages of world tennis.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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