Ben Shelton makes ATP breakthrough and simple message shows it’s just the start

One of the tennis’ finest young players, Ben Shelton, won the first championship of his career in Tokyo on Sunday. The 21-year-old reached the first final of his career and defeated Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 to claim victory in the Japanese capital.

He is the second consecutive American to triumph in Tokyo after Taylor Fritz won the crown in 2022. Before reaching the championship match in Tokyo however, Shelton wrote the words “humble and hungry” on the camera after his semi-final.

Those two words have summed up the young player’s performances over the course of his first full season on the ATP Tour. Shelton hit the headlines in August 2022 when he reached the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters.

Soon after, he announced his decision to forego his final two years at university and turn professional. The decision paid off as the teenager made a meteoric rise in 2023, starting with his run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January.

Over a month after reaching the US Open semi-finals, the American has now joined the club of players who have captured a title on the ATP Tour. “That meant a lot to me and my team,” Shelton said. “We have been working really hard since the beginning to build my game and win titles on the ATP Tour.

“I made some deep runs lately. You see the great champions, they finish weeks off. They win titles, they don’t just get to finals. They are able to maintain their level throughout the week. I am not saying I am anywhere there yet, but to be able to do it for one week, put together five matches in a row in Tokyo is really special.”

After coming from a set and 2-5 down to defeat Marcos Giron in the semi-finals, Shelton asserted his authority in the final. He consistently took the ball early on return to rush his opponent, who after losing a tight first set, struggled in the second.

Shelton struck 18 winners and won 80% of the points behind his first serve, which caused Karatsev problems throughout the match. The former NCAA Singles Champion wrapped up the win in just 84 minutes and celebrated with his father and coach Bryan along with the rest of his team.

Shelton won his first ATP title 32 years after his father won the first of his two Newport championships in 1991, making them the fourth father and son-duo to win tennis titles. He is the sixth player to have won their first ATP title this season. Shelton’s most recent success means he has now ascended to a career-high No. 15, which is remarkable given he began the year ranked No. 96.

His results this year have left him third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah for the NextGen Finals, and he also has an outside chance to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. “I am really looking forward to this tail-end stretch of the year,” Shelton said. “I think it is a great opportunity for me. Earlier in the season I was losing early in weeks, so my match count is not that high, so I am feeling fresh. I am looking forward to finishing the season strong.”