“There are a lot of positives to take from that because I feel like my game is improving a lot.” Said a confident Ben Shelton, following his fourth-round defeat at the Roland Garros nearly two weeks ago. He was fighting against the eventual winner and an emerging new clay king, Carlos Alcaraz. Despite facing the five-time slam champion on his preferred surface, the 22-year-old showed promising signs of a future star. Remember how he pushed Alcaraz to his limits, for once, after snatching the third set? The Spaniard had to make extra efforts to win the match in the fourth set. Shelton achieved his best run yet on clay at the Roland Garros this season. While his campaign didn’t last longer in Paris, the world No. 12 has already shifted his focus onto the next major—the Wimbledon.

“For me, this is the closest that I’ve felt in a match against him, and the most pressure that I thought that I’ve applied, the most comfortable that I felt in the baseline exchanges, the best I’ve hit my open-stance backhand when he’s put pressure there,” Shelton revealed during a post-match conference after his loss to Alcaraz, as reported by Reuters on June 2. After earning his best campaign at the French Open, the American appears to be confident of a fine performance on grass too. And he just made it evident.

In an interaction with Tennis Channel, Shelton spoke about his preparations ahead of Wimbledon. “Yeah, naturally it (grass) suits my game really well.” The 2025 Australian Open semifinalist added, “It has its challenges of course, and I think for me I have to be really committed to play well on the surface if I get static with my footwork, if I’m pulling up on my forehand, if I’m not committed to hitting backhands or going through the slice and being aggressive with it rather than being defensive. I end up catching the ball late, shanking balls and it’s not a great formula for someone who’s tentative or not committed to your shot.”

Backing up his style of “playing aggressive tennis,” he said, “I like my chances against anyone on grass court. I’m feeling more and more comfortable with the movement, taking less balls each year. Hopefully you guys see some high-level movement from me on this surface soon.”

While his attention might be on Wimbledon, Shelton still couldn’t keep himself away from the French Open. Especially during the men’s singles final last week. The epic summit clash between Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was so captivating that it forced the American to tune into the on-court action.

Ben Shelton breaks his strict rule to watch the French Open final

The French Open final was a marathon encounter. It lasted for 5 hours and 29 minutes, turning into the longest final of the clay event in years. The intensity of this clash was next level as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz showed outstanding athleticism on the court. The Italian appeared to be winning initially. Especially after he clinched the first two sets. However, the Spaniard didn’t give up and came back in style in the third. Then he saved three championship points in the fourth set to push the result into a decider (fifth set).

The last moments witnessed them fighting for the crown in a super tiebreak. Ultimately, it was Alcaraz who emerged victorious with a stupendous forehand. It went past Sinner and landed inside the court. With that, the Spaniard also successfully defended his French Open title from last season.

With so much happening in this epic battle, how could Ben Shelton miss out on the action? In the same interaction with Tennis Channel, he revealed, “I’m not really the guy who sits there and watches the tournament after I’m out, you know. I’ll maybe watch a different sport or not watch anything at all.” But guess what? He opted to witness this historic clash.

“I turned it on at 6-5 in the 5th and I was like, ‘Let’s just see what this tiebreak is looking like.’ And I knew there had been ups and downs. Sinner got tight and Alcaraz got tight serving for the match.” He was amazed by the level of tennis in the final set, specifically the tiebreak. It’s where Alcaraz really solidified his lead while sealing the victory. “Those first 6 or 7 points with Alcaraz, you go back and you watch those and you’re like, ‘That’s some of the most clutch tennis I’ve seen at 6-all in the 5th in my life.’”

Speaking of Shelton’s next stop after the French Open, he’s going to appear at the Stuttgart Open. It’s a grass event, thus giving him an opportunity to prepare ahead of Wimbledon. What are your thoughts on the 22-year-old’s chances at the All England Club? Let us know in the comments below.