Ben Shelton Explains Jannik Sinner’s ‘Biggest Strength’ and Why Many Players Struggle to Beat Him

Jannik Sinner holds a 5-1 head-to-head record over Ben Shelton, who has kick-started his campaign on the grass swing at the Stuttgart Open.

Ben Shelton Explains Jannik Sinner’s ‘Biggest Strength’ and Why Many Players Struggle to Beat Him

Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton (Image via X/Janniksin_Updates, US Open Tennis)

Jannik Sinner has played three tournaments this season and reached the finals. He was successful in defeating Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final and after serving his three-month doping ban, he made his comeback at the Italian Open only to reach the final and lose to Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner then lost two consecutive matches to Alcaraz this season when the Spaniard beat him in a thrilling French Open final. En route to his Australian Open title defense, Sinner went past Ben Shelton in the semifinals. The American, who trails 1-5 in the head-to-head matchups against the World No.1, explained what in Sinner’s game makes it difficult for his opponent to play him. He told Tennis Channel:

I think what a lot of players struggle with when they play him is that early in the match, his speed can be overwhelming, which was the case with Alcaraz. Once he got used to the speed of the game, he was able to start doing whatever he wanted, but I think that's the biggest strength with him: the consistent ball speed, the ability to hit the backhand open in his run-up, it's like having two forehands.

Since returning to tennis after the doping ban, the 23-year-old has handed a bagel to five different opponents, including two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud in the Italian Open quarterfinals. At the French Open, Sinner dropped sets only in the final against Alcaraz.

Had Sinner won the French Open, he would have become the first Italian man to take home the title after Adriano Panatta in 1976. Alcaraz, on the other hand, is now the third youngest to win five Majors following Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal.

Ben Shelton makes his feelings known on the French Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner reached the French Open final for the first time and after much toil, he was successful in taking a 2-0 lead. Carlos Alcaraz somehow clinched the next set and in the fourth set, he saved three championship points before winning it after a tie-breaker to force the decider.

Jannik SInner and Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik SInner and Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Open Source)

The fifth set too was a tight affair and the result of the match was decided through the tie-breaker which Alcaraz won, defending his title. En route to the title, the now five-time Grand Slam champion came from a set down to beat Ben Shelton in the fourth round. The American ace, during the same interview with Tennis Channel, stated that every point during the match was “crazy“.

Those first six or seven points from Alcaraz, you go back in and you watch those. And that’s some of the most clutch tennis I’ve seen at 6-all on the fifth in my life.

Shelton is in Stuttgart, chasing his career’s first grass-court title. The third seed beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert to set up a quarterfinal clash with eighth seed Jiri Lehecka, who he will meet for the first time in his career.

Alcaraz will next play at the Queen’s Club Championships to chase his fourth grass-court title and his second in the tournament. Sinner’s next target will be to defend the Halle Open, where last year, he beat Hubert Hurkacz to capture his first trophy on grass.

Following the ATP 500 tournament, it will be time for the third Grand Slam of the season: Wimbledon. Alcaraz will be bidding to clinch the title three times on the trot.

In the previous two years, he went past 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the finals. Sinner has never progressed to the final of the grass-court Major. He had reached the semifinals in 2023 and last year, he lost a five-set quarterfinal to Daniil Medvedev.

Also read: Andy Murray Lays Down the Fundamentals for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to Achieve the Status of the ‘Big 3’