Shelton ends the season: "Since my injury at the US Open, I have only played one good match"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 14 Nov 2025 | 17.27

Shelton ends the season: "Since my injury at the US Open, I have only played one good match." Photo: Gettyimages

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The season has come to an end for Ben Shelton. The American wraps up 2025 with a bitter taste due to his three losses in the ATP Finals and also because of the shoulder injury he suffered at the US Open, which has prevented him from regaining the excellent form he showed in the first half of the year.

It is worth mentioning that Ben Shelton reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, the round of 16 at Roland Garros, and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Additionally, he secured his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto, but after that, his shoulder could not handle the brute force anymore. He skipped the Asian swing, and since his return in the latter part of the season, he has appeared lacking rhythm, confidence, and inspiration in crucial moments. Nevertheless, the leap in quality he has made in 2025 is commendable, and gradually he is becoming a regular fixture in the final stages of tournaments. Therefore, for 2026, he aims to make the definitive breakthrough to become a real threat.

Ben Shelton gives himself a passing grade for this season and is already thinking about 2026

"It was tough to end the season like this, with a 0-3 record in the ATP Finals. Yes, for me, it has been a fantastic year, no doubt. There have been many positives. Tennis is full of ups and downs. This will only make me work harder during the preseason and be even more excited for the 2026 season. But yes, it hurts, no doubt."

The shoulder injury weighed him down in the final stretch of the year

"Definitely, I haven't played well. In fact, since my injury at the US Open, I have only played one good match. Actually, I wouldn't say today was a bad match either, but I think I only played well against Rublev in Paris. Coming back after being out for a while, it's a bit challenging for me to find my rhythm. Trying to do it at the end of the year when others are in great form is difficult."

"In my case, I will find it; I know I will find my rhythm and all the different shots I need on the court. Today I played a good match from the baseline and at the net. Honestly, I was outplayed on the serve. That has been the common theme in the three matches I've played here: my opponents have served better than me. It's not my biggest concern. I know I have a great serve. The merit of the players who are in good form at the end of this year must be acknowledged. There have been no easy matches in my group, and I have fallen a bit short."

He still has much to learn

"I always try to catch up to those ahead of me. How can I improve? How can I be more effective? While not losing sight of what makes me great and without trying to change too much. But yes, without a doubt, being able to play against some of the world's best players reveals to me what I need to improve on. I'm still not the player I want to be, far from it. There are many areas I need to work on."

"But, in my case, I'm lucky. It can be seen in two ways: either I was out for a month and a half due to an injury, or I had a month and a half of rest. Now when I return home, I don't need time to relax and take a break from playing before starting to train again. I can get back into it immediately."

Believe in the process

"I believe tennis is a sport where you don't get instant gratification. I could be working on things this week or have been working on things for the past three months, the last two months, the last month, while I have been trying to come back. I may not see it on the court yet. But perhaps in Australia, in Paris, at some point next year, I will begin to see how those things materialize."

"It has always been that way in my career. I set a goal and work on it every day. You don't achieve it right away. It's frustrating. But indeed, over time, as long as I keep working consistently every day, which has never been a problem for me, I see those things starting to work and bear fruit in my matches."

The need to change your tennis when playing against the world's best

"Tennis is a game of matchups. If you look at the top four, they are all very different players, or the top five, or the top ten. They are all very different. Each match will be different. There are certain things I love about matchups with certain players. There are certain things they probably love against me and things they hate. Trying to figure out how to be more disruptive is different when we talk about Alcaraz or Sinner. They are two completely different players. Zverev, Fritz, Djokovic, any of the top players, have different solutions."

"You have to be able to adapt on the fly when playing against certain players and not fall in love with a specific game plan against someone because you want to play your own game and try to stay true to yourself, do the things that are your strengths. In my case, I think I have a very specific style that I like to play. That helps me perform at my best. At the same time, I have to find ways to unsettle my opponents."

The importance of adapting to all surfaces

"I think the best players adapt. The best players are great at changing small details in their game to be effective on all surfaces. To win Grand Slams on multiple surfaces, win a bunch of titles on different surfaces throughout the year, you have to be able to adapt. That's one of my main goals for 2026," states Ben Shelton, who concludes a season where he went from strength to weakness but promises to come back much stronger in 2026.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shelton termina la temporada: "Desde mi lesión en el US Open, solo he jugado un buen partido"