The dust has barely settled on the red clay of Roland Garros, where fans witnessed a five-set classic that may go down as one of the greatest Grand Slam finals ever. Carlos Alcaraz clawed back from two sets down and saved three match points to defeat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2), clinching his fifth major title in as many finals. For anyone wondering what tennis would look like after Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, the answer was loud and clear—Alcaraz and Sinner have arrived. But amid the hype around this new “Big Two,” rising American star Ben Shelton has been watching closely. So what does he have to say about it?

Ben Shelton, the American lefty known for his booming serve and fearless shotmaking, is already back on court, gearing up for grass season. On Wednesday, he kicked off his Stuttgart Open campaign with a solid 7-6(4), 7-5 win over French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert, saving all four break points he faced in the second set and converting his only opportunity to break at 6-5.

That victory sets up a quarterfinal showdown against either Jiri Lehecka or Jan-Lennard Struff, but Shelton’s mind wasn’t just on Stuttgart. He caught the final tiebreak of the Alcaraz-Sinner showdown, calling it “clutch tennis.” Speaking to Tennis Channel, the 22-year-old broke down what he’s taken away from his recent matchups with the two stars.

“For me, I am not really a guy who just rallies from the baseline, so I think it’s a whole different match up,” Shelton said. “Playing both of them, I have had a lot of chances recently. Sets that I didn’t close out, set points on my racket, and they have played the clutch points, the big points, really well, and make you earn it.”

Shelton added, “That is one big thing for me that I have taken from those matches, one in Australia and one at the French. Once these guys get going, they can be a runaway train, so having set points in the first set against Alcaraz and Sinner, those ones stung. But I guess if you are going to lose to someone at a Grand Slam, you might as well lose to the back-to-back defending champion.”

And Shelton knows what it’s like to be on the wrong end of those matches. He’s faced Alcaraz three times and lost on all occasions. Against Sinner, he’s met him five times, with his lone win coming back in 2023. At this year’s Grand Slams, he came up short against both, falling to Sinner in straight sets in the Australian Open semifinals and taking a set off Alcaraz in the French Open round of 16.

Still, those losses have brought him closer with each step. They’ve also brought him closer to the ATP Top 10.

Ben Shelton could make his top 10 debut

American men’s tennis is having a bit of a renaissance. After reaching the second week of Roland Garros, alongside Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe, both of whom made the quarterfinals, Ben Shelton finds himself ranked No. 12 in the ATP rankings. A strong run in Stuttgart could see him crack the Top 10 for the first time in his career, joining Paul and Taylor Fritz in the elite group.

The only man standing in his way this week? World No. 11 Daniil Medvedev, who is the top seed at the Libema Open in s-Hertogenbosch. Medvedev plays Adrian Mannarino in his opening round on Thursday, and his result could determine whether Shelton breaks through.

For now, the 22-year-old’s win over Herbert was just his 14th career match on grass, evening out his record to 7-7. He got the job done in one hour and 50 minutes, a performance that shows he’s slowly getting more comfortable on the surface.

Maybe next time he faces Alcaraz or Sinner, he’ll do it as a Top 10 player. How long before Shelton turns lessons into wins against tennis’ toughest duo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!