Former World No.1 Backs Ben Shelton to Win his Maiden Grand Slam at the 2025 US Open

Ben Shelton is currently on a nine-match winning streak on tour and he's yet to drop a set at the Cincinnati Open.

Former World No.1 Backs Ben Shelton to Win his Maiden Grand Slam at the 2025 US Open

Ben Shelton (image via National Bank Open)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

The US Open has yet to see a male American player win the singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003. But after twenty-two years, former World No.1 Lindsay Davenport believes that World No.6 Ben Shelton is in pole position to end the waiting streak. This comes after the Atlanta native triumphed at the Canadian Open.

Shelton has had a meteoric rise in the ATP Tour since turning pro in 2022. The American star burst into the limelight when he reached the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open before losing to Novak Djokovic. He’s currently having his best season on tour, having reached two finals and claiming one title.

But besides that, the 22-year-old made his semi-finals debut at the Australian Open before losing to Jannik Sinner in January. Last month, at Wimbledon, he reached the quarter-finals for the first time before also falling to Sinner. Since the start of the North American hard-court swing, he has at least reached the quarter-finals of every tournament he has participated in.

He reached the semi-finals of the Washington Open before getting to the first final of an ATP Masters 1000 event at the Canadian Open. In Toronto, he beat Karen Khachanov in three sets to win his third career title. He’s currently competing at the Cincinnati Open and is into the quarter-finals.

During a conversation on the Tennis Channel podcast, Lindsay Davenport backed Shelton to end the twenty-two-year wait for an American male to win the US Open. The tennis legend added that he possesses the qualities to get the crowd backing at the Grand Slam event:

Ben Shelton has that type of game where he can take the racket out of his opponent’s hand. He’s got big weapons. He’s such an explosive athlete. He lights up the stadium as well. So all of a sudden, if you get on a roll in New York and you’re Ben, he had the crowd behind him in Canada. If he can play that high-level tennis and have the crowd behind him… we could have an American male Grand Slam champion here pretty soon.

Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the favorites to win the US Open, despite Shelton being a strong challenger. Even Djokovic comes after the two stars in the favorites ranking for the tournament. However, if Shelton should have a good run at Cincinnati, he’s expected to climb to World No.5, which will allow him not to face either Sinner or Alcaraz until the last eight of the US Open.

Ben Shelton beats Jiri Lehecka to reach the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open

Ben Shelton continued his red-hot form at the Cincinnati Open as he defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals. The 22-year-old has been unbeaten since the start of the Canadian Open and he’s yet to drop a set since arriving at Cincinnati. Despite the humid conditions at the tournament, he delivered an excellent performance in an hour and 21 minutes.

Ben Shelton Canadian Open 2025
Ben Shelton (image via National Bank Open)

During his on-court interview, he was asked about the key to his nine-match winning streak. He revealed that he feels great confidence on the court, which has helped him find a good rhythm in his game:

I’m hungry. I’m in a good rhythm. I’m playing good tennis and my body feels good. I think the confidence, along with not being satisfied, wanting to prove myself over and over every time that I’m out on the court, and having things that I want to get better at, is a huge motivation for me, and it pushes me every match.

Shelton currently holds a 35-6 win-loss record on tour this season. He’s set to face Alexander Zverev for a place in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open. The German star leads the American 3-0 in their head-to-head record.

Also Read: Jannik Sinner Sets Huge Career Storyline Goals After Making the Cincinnati Open Semifinals