Ben Shelton Gives His Verdict on Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner’s Absence From the Canadian Open

Ben Shelton opened his Canadian Open account against French star Adrian Mannarino in Toronto.

Ben Shelton Gives His Verdict on Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner’s Absence From the Canadian Open

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Ben Shelton (via X/Carlos Alcaraz, Wimbledon/Mubadala Citi Open)

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Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner are absent from the Canadian Open in Toronto. This now leaves Ben Shelton with a good chance of claiming his first Masters 1000 title at the tournament. But the American star believes that to achieve that will still be hard.

Shelton is currently ranked World No.7, a career-high ranking in the ATP Tour. But, he’s the fourth seed at the tournament, just below Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Lorenzo Musetti at the tournament. This means he wouldn’t face the aforementioned players until the semi-finals of the tournament, leaving him with enough time to get to his best form while playing against lower-ranked players.

However, apart from Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic, other notable absentees include World No.5 Jack Draper, Tommy Paul, Grigor Dimitrov, and Sebastian Korda. Some of the players withdrew from the tournament due to injuries, but some did so to get enough rest ahead of the Cincinnati Open and US Open.

During Shelton’s press conference at the tournament, he was asked if the absence of the ATP stars would make it easier for him to win it. The 22-year-old said that though it feels like an opportunity to do so for many players, he doesn’t believe their withdrawal changes how difficult it is to win the tournament:

Maybe a lot of players feel an opportunity. In my case, I feel excitement every time I play a big tournament, regardless of whether the best players are there or not…This year we’ve had some big withdrawals, but we still have great players here and in great shape. Everyone will be looking to make a difference, and I’m one of those guys. But it’s tough; there are a lot of great players on tour. It’s going to be a walk in the park for no one. I’m approaching this tournament as another opportunity to build confidence for the US Open.

Shelton has never reached the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 tournament in his career. However, this season, he has been playing better, battling hard to win on the court, and recently reached the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships for the first time in his career. He will hope to keep the momentum at the Canadian Open.

Ben Shelton faced Adrian Mannarino in his opening match at the Canadian Open

Ben Shelton reached the semi-finals of the Washington Open before losing to eventual runners-up Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets. The American then continued his North American hard-court swing at the Canadian Open, where he faced Adrian Mannarino in the second round of the Canadian Open.

Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton (Image via X/Jose Morgado)

The match was expected to be a tough one for Shelton as he had never beaten the Frenchman in his career. In fact, he had a 0-2 head-to-head record against Mannarino and last met him in the round of 32 of the Australian Open in 2024.

However, Shelton cruised past the veteran Frenchman in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the next round. He’s projected now to face either Brandon Nakashima or Ethan Quinn, setting up what could be an all-American clash in the third round. Shelton is also expected to face Flavio Cobolli in the fourth round.

Shelton, however, doesn’t boast that good a record at the Canadian Open. He has won three matches in his five appearances at the tournament. Last year, he beat Alexander Bublik in the second round before losing to eventual champion Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the Masters 1000 tournament.

Also Read: Former Grand Slam Finalist Predicts Novak Djokovic’s Chances of an Elusive 25th Grand Slam Title