Ben Shelton fell in four sets to Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s US Open final in New York, but the American said the experience has only sharpened his drive to improve and return to the biggest stages. Reaching his first Grand Slam championship match at Arthur Ashe Stadium marked a new milestone for the 21-year-old, who has already won two ATP Masters 1000 titles, played the Nitto ATP Finals, and reached two previous major semi-finals. He described the atmosphere of a US Open final as unlike anything he had felt before and said it left him eager for more.
Reflecting on the Journey
Shelton acknowledged that his recent Grand Slam runs had ended earlier than he wanted, which left him watching others play deep into the tournaments. He sees himself as a late bloomer who often needs time to figure out finals at each level, from juniors to Challengers to the ATP Tour, and views his progress as an ongoing process. He believes his competitive edge is a strength, while maintaining that he still has significant room to grow.
Assessing the final, he felt his backhand held up better as the match wore on, but his forehand lacked accuracy and bite. He pointed to too many errors in attack and in transition and said making the forehand more threatening is a clear priority. Despite the defeat, Shelton will rise to a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday, reinforcing his place near the top of the sport as he targets further improvements.
Trinity Rodman, his girlfriend and a professional soccer player, traveled from a game in Washington to catch the end of the match. Shelton expressed gratitude for her effort and the continued support from his family and friends. He plans to use the coming months to build on this run and arrive in Australia stronger than he was in New York.