Shelton: "My journey is unique, I am less exhausted than those who started playing at 5 years old"
With the Dallas title in hand, the American talked about his great week of tennis and proudly remembered his journey to get here.
It took a month and a half for Ben Shelton to bite metal in 2026. Champion at ATP Dallas after a week of maximum intensity, where he had to deal with tough opponents and even save some situations of extreme difficulty.
Finishing, for example, with a final where he saved up to three match points against Taylor Fritz, who was the top seed. But this time the title fell into the hands of the second favorite, a Ben Shelton who has shown in this ATP 500 in Dallas that the combination of playing at home on hard court continues to work like the first day. After embracing the fourth individual trophy of his career, the 23-year-old player offered a very pleasant press conference, where he reviewed the toughest moments of this week, thanked the support from his team, and compared his journey with that of other teammates.
First title of 2026
“I am very happy with this title, to finish the week like this, it has been very physically tough to get here, several exhausting matches. The journey to the final was not easy, so this makes it even more special. I am happy to have finished the tournament in this way and to have crossed the finish line as I did”.
The value of traveling with his people
“They mean everything to me, I have a close-knit group of people around me. I do not usually travel with a large group, it is quite small, I do not like traveling with many people. Having my family and friends close, the people who are there every day watching my matches, win or lose, supporting and believing in me no matter what happens, means everything to me.”
Three match points saved against Fritz
“I do not know how I did it, I have been very decisive throughout the tournament. I felt at home, comfortable on break points. I felt like I had the answers, that I had what I needed, especially if the opponent was not playing aggressively or not taking the racket out of my hand. I felt like I had the solutions, so by the time those moments arrived, I felt prepared from what had happened earlier in the tournament. That is how I managed to save those match points”.
How valuable is this title?
“I would put this title among the best of my career, it is a great title. It is probably my second-best title. In terms of the quality of tennis and the level of the opponents I faced, it may be even tougher than Tokyo. Obviously, Toronto was my first Masters 1000, my biggest title so far, undoubtedly, but this one is also very important to me, it is very special to win on American soil”.
Increasing comfort at the net
“Feeling comfortable at the net is part of my evolution, it is an area where I believe I can differentiate myself from others, so it is something I am improving on every week. Playing doubles this week was a way to get used to the court, work on my volleys, my net skills, the return, the serve, and also to get used to playing under pressure. Definitely, I believe all this helped me in the end to also win my singles matches”.
Maximum competitive guarantee
“Due to the way I am playing and serving, it is difficult to beat me in straight sets. As long as I can stay strong and put pressure on the scoreboard in the second set as it approaches the end, if I bring out my best tennis at crucial moments and am aggressive when the opponent hesitates, that is where I can take advantage. Upon entering the third set after winning the second, I always do it very confidently. Being able to hold my serve, not lose it early in the second set, and always stay there to then close the key points, that was my mentality throughout the week”.
Ben Shelton highlights the great advantage of starting his professional career later
“Every person is different, every path is different, it worked for me. My path is unique, tennis is a very technical and difficult sport if you start late. At the same time, I feel much less exhausted than those who played tennis since they were 5 years old or were prodigies since they were 8 years old. For me, all of this feels like I am truly starting, I have a lot of room to improve and a great love for the game, although it is difficult to compare the situation with others”.
Already thinking about the next tournament
“It is difficult, I am the type of person who is always thinking about what is next. I can enjoy a title for a moment, think about how special it is, but I immediately think about what I want to do next, how to improve and take the next steps. That's how my mind works. We are all different, each one handles victory and defeat differently. Sometimes I feel a certain guilt if I take too long celebrating, because winning a title is great, but that's not what life is about. My goal in tennis is not to leave anything pending when it's over, to know that I exhausted every option and became the best possible version on the court. That is what I pursue, what drives me every day”.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shelton: “Mi camino es único, estoy menos agotado que los que empezaron a jugar con 5 años”