“I am not done, I have more things I want to accomplish this year,” a determined Ben Shelton confessed ahead of his comeback on the court following a month-long recovery from a painful shoulder injury. It led to his untimely withdrawal from the US Open. But it couldn’t stop the 22-year-old from making a return with his racket. At the Shanghai Masters, the world No.6 was hoping to announce his arrival with a statement performance. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be against a formidable rival from Belgium.

Playing against David Goffin, ranked 83rd in the world, Shelton found himself struggling on the Stadium court on Friday afternoon. Goffin snatched the first set, sending shockwaves among the American’s supporters. At one point, Shelton looked to be in control when he was leading 4-3 in the second set before heavy downpours disrupted the action for a brief duration.

After the match resumed following the pause, Shelton’s hopes of making a comeback were washed away. Goffin managed to emerge victorious as he took the second set as well. With a final scoreline of 6-2, 6-4, the Belgian advanced into the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

On the other hand, the shocking result has left fans fuming over Shelton’s invisible on-court skills. Yes, he was coming off an injury after a month-long recovery, but several tennis pundits believed Goffin was simply too good to beat, that the maker met his match or even better.

Currently, fans on social media are going after Shelton for his disappointing show in Shanghai. Seems like he will have to wait to make a proper return in the next tournament, possibly.

Fans lash out at Ben Shelton over shocking Shanghai Masters exit

One fan wrote, “Nobody’s shocked, Ben Shelton always chokes” while claiming that Ben Shelton fails every time in pressure situations. Another person echoed this sentiment, claiming that the result was “Not an upset. Goffin owns him.🥹🔥👏🏾” It is technically true as well, given the H2H record between the two ATP rivals.

For the uninitiated, Goffin was leading 1-0 against the American prior to their Shanghai face-off. After Friday’s win, the 34-year-old Belgian has extended the H2H lead to 2-0 against Shelton. Also, Goffin earned his second top 10 win of the season. Back in March, he took down six-time slam winner and World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open.

Following his straight-set victory on Friday, Goffin has also become the fourth-oldest player, at 34 years and 298 days, to beat a top 10 opponent in Shanghai. Before him, the players who have achieved the feat are Ivo Karlovic in 2014 (35 years and 219 days), 20-time slam king Roger Federer in 2017 (36 years and 62 days), and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic in 2024 (37 years and 133 days).

Meanwhile, one user called “Shelton a one hit wonder imo” while another individual suggested he “needs some variation. Hitting it as hard as you can every point doesn’t work.” Shelton known infamously for his hard hitting fast serves (frequently above 140 mph) has unfortunately become too predictable to some fans. It makes sense given his performances against top rivals like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Despite delivering speed, he has failed to win a single match against either of them in 2025. Lastly, one fan took a jab at the American saying, “Pen exposed again 😭”

The defeat in singles at the Shanghai Masters seems to have affected Shelton deeply. So much so that he has now pulled his name out of the doubles campaign. He was set to play alongside Kazakh star Alexander Bublik on Saturday. Now, the pair will be replaced by Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner. They will face Zizou Bergs and Romain Arneodo in the R32.