“I’m Close to Bringing it all Together:” Shelton Not Discouraged By Latest Loss to Sinner

The paper trail tells one story. The eye test tells another. In his heart, Ben Shelton knows he’s getting closer to where he wants to be, even if he has lost 22 consecutive sets and dropped nine straight matches to Italian juggernaut Jannik Sinner.

Shelton was stopped by the four-time major champion in the quarterfinals on Day 10, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and afterwards he was upbeat as he told reporters that his game is still developing and—most important—things are moving in the right direction.

“I think my level is better, and I’m getting better and better and becoming a lot less limited,” Shelton said. “I think this game takes time, and the results don’t always come when you want them. I’m getting to the point now where I’m getting stopped up by the toughest challenge in the game for the most part, and I do think that I’m close to bringing it all together.”

Full credit to Shelton, who now boasts a 36-14 lifetime record at the majors. The former Florida Gator has now reached the quarterfinals in five of his last 13 major appearances, and since the start of last season, the only player not named Sinner (3) or Alcaraz (1) to defeat him at the majors was Adrian Mannarino, and that was via retirement in the fifth set due to a shoulder injury.

Shelton, who won his first career meeting with Sinner but has now lost nine straight, says he just needs that one breakthrough moment. He hasn’t been able to find a way to take a lead against Sinner, and he feels that if he can do that, his chances of pulling an upset would increase dramatically.

“I think it’s just going to take that one time where I [finally] do it to kind of get me over the hump,” he said. “It’s always been that way for me. Certainly not discouraged from a performance like this, but you know, I want to see myself get out in front and see what I can do from there in a match rather than falling behind just because I know how I feel when I get out in front at slams. I feel like, you know, I’m untouchable. I guarantee the other guys at the top feel the exact same.

“So, for me, I think that, you know, it’s a matter of time and work just trying to put all the pieces together, because I’m not complete yet, but I feel myself becoming more complete.”