Ben Shelton is certainly stepping up in the right limelight! After struggling on clay for many years, the American is now battling his way through the fourth round of the French Open for the first time. He holds an 8-4 record on clay this year and stands 18-15 overall on the surface. But standing on the other side of the court is none other than the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz. It’s a tough moment for the young American to keep his place and make his mark on Parisian soil. Still, despite the stress of the match, Shelton knows how to stay cool and be a good sport.

On Sunday, during his Round 4 match against the Spaniard, who holds a 17-1 win-loss record this season, Shelton found himself in a tough position. During their first set, with the scoreline at 3-all, Alcaraz had an advantage to take the lead. But when Shelton’s serve was called “let” by the automated machine, Alcaraz wasn’t having any of it.

The Spaniard returned the point, but the call went unnoticed by the chair umpire. This prompted a brief halt between the two. According to the Spanish ESPN X account, the moment showed Alcaraz calling the chair umpire out. However, Shelton stepped in and offered the Spaniard “if he wanted to replay the point.” The scoreline read 4-3, but what truly stood out was the American’s down-to-earth response to diffuse the situation.

At the end of the set, they found themselves at a tiebreaker, which Carlos ended up winning 7-6(8). The match is still underway as both players look to mark their place in the quarterfinals of the tournament. It’s a big one for Ben Shelton, given it’ll be his first quarter’s appearance at Roland Garros.

But it seems like he hopes to get there fair and square. So far, he’s doing an incredible job. Even Carlos believes so.

Alcaraz praises Ben Shelton on his recent form at Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz hasn’t had the most convincing start to his title defense in Paris, and now he faces his toughest test yet at the French Open. After his third-round win over Damir Dzumhur, Alcaraz spoke about Shelton in his press conference. He said, “He has grown a lot during the last three years, even during the last year.” And to be fair, he’s right!

When Shelton first debuted at the French Open in 2023, he lost in the first round to Sonego in a tough four-set battle. He managed to take a set off the Italian, but ultimately lost the match. This year, opening his campaign against the same player might have been daunting, but Shelton overcame the obstacle and broke into the second round.

Alcaraz added, “I’ve talked a lot about him personally, and have a huge respect for him. The things he’s doing are great. The results are great. I have to be ready for that. He’s playing great, so it’s going to be an interesting match, a really powerful player, and it’s going to be a good one.”

Last year, he made it to the third round before Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated him in straight sets (4-6, 2-6, 1-6). But this year, he’s improved and now he’s challenging the defending champion on a new level.

The momentum is building, and the excitement is real. Will Shelton be able to overpower Carlos Alcaraz’s dominance and experience on Parisian clay to earn himself a ticket to the quarterfinals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!