Munar, Shelton's Nightmare: "Having Confidence Helps a Lot"

Fernando Murciego | 23 Oct 2025 | 20.22

Jaume Munar, the kryptonite of Ben Shelton. Source: Getty

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When a player defeats the same opponent three times in a row, it means something is happening. In this case, something very positive for Jaume Munar and not so good for Ben Shelton. They crossed paths thirteen times this season, and the Spanish player emerged victorious in all three encounters. Why?

Surely, more than one person looked at the Thursday schedule in the Basel ATP 500 and upon seeing that Jaume Munar and Ben Shelton would face each other, it became clear. We are talking about the typical person who relies on rankings or conditions to make predictions, completely forgetting about tactics and how different playing styles fit together. The Spaniard knows this well, which is why he has managed to defeat the American player for the third consecutive time, leaving Shelton frustrated under the Swiss dome as he did in previous encounters with this opponent. To better understand this H2H, we hear from Jaume on Tennis TV.

"In tennis, there are always players whose playing style you might adapt to a little better, players against whom your own style fits in a special way. In this case, I always vividly remember the first time we faced each other, in Shanghai 2023, where I made the mistake of playing with very short shots," assesses the World No. 42. "From that point on, I began to study his strengths a bit better, especially his serve, although there are many other things he does very well. The truth is that I feel comfortable when I play against him. The feeling of competing against one of the best in the world is always very special; I can only be proud of having served and played really well," adds the player from Santanyi, who is having the best season of his career.

However, do not think that winning twice this year makes winning a third time an easy mission. "It's no revelation to say how difficult it is to return against a player of this caliber; he has a tremendous serve and always puts a lot of pressure with those first balls. What can you do against this? You have to start with the basics: be completely focused and try to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way, although there are times when none appear. This worked very well for me in the first set, not so much in the second. Of course, you also cannot lose focus on your own serve, something that, fortunately, I strictly adhered to today," pointed out the 28-year-old.

Munar's key to defeating Shelton for the third time

That defeat in Shanghai must have marked Jaume Munar so much that he had to stand up and force himself to ensure it would not happen again. Since then, they met again this year in Dallas (6-2, 7-6), in Rome (6-2, 6-1), and this week in Basel (6-3, 6-4). Three shots, all hitting the target, without dropping a single set. It cannot be a coincidence; the strategy is working better than ever, but behind the racket, the crucial element making everything else function is the mind.

"The mental aspect is fundamental, it is key, but I have been working on this aspect for many years. Especially these last two seasons. Now I see that things are gradually coming together, that all the work I have been doing is effective on the court, especially in building confidence during matches, which helps a lot in games like today's. I know my tennis is there, so I have no reason not to be calm, although there are always moments where you can lose control a little," summarized the Balearic player.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Munar, la pesadilla de Shelton: “Tener confianza ayuda muchísimo”

ATP