Ben Shelton’s final words after his Australian Open semifinal exit still echo with quiet confidence: “I know I’m close. I know my level’s close. I know I have a lot of the stuff that I need. I certainly believe in myself.” True to his belief, the American pushed through the clay gauntlet in Paris, reaching the fourth round, and now carries that fire into Wimbledon. With only Taylor Fritz joining him in the QF hunt, Shelton now stands tall on the green stage, facing Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, a grass-court assassin who recently took out fellow American Brandon Nakashima in 5 sets. Can Shelton summon his power, belief, and grass-court swagger to break through? Let’s dive into this electric showdown.

Ben Shelton’s rise through the Wimbledon 2025 draw has been smooth, almost too smooth. With a straight-sets win over Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, the 21-year-old American stormed into the fourth round of a Slam for the sixth time in just 12 major appearances. That’s a staggering level of consistency for someone still carving his name into the upper echelons of the men’s game. But while his talent is undeniable, there’s no denying lady luck has played her part in paving a path for Shelton at the majors, especially in the early rounds.

So far this Wimbledon, Shelton hasn’t faced a single opponent ranked inside the Top 80. His path included No. 179 Alex Bolt, No. 87 Rinky Hijikata, and No. 105 Fucsovics. The average ranking of his opponents? A modest 124. He’s only beaten a seeded player once en route to the fourth round of a Grand Slam. 

Still, that doesn’t take away from the clinical way he’s dispatched his challengers without dropping a set. Against Fucsovics, Shelton powered down a 148 mph ace, equaling Andy Roddick’s record for the most straight-sets wins by an American in the first three rounds at Wimbledon.

Shelton’s 2025 season has been impressive as well, including a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells, and his first ATP Top 10 debut following a strong Stuttgart showing. His biggest improvements under the watchful eye of his father-coach have come on the backhand wing and at the net, where he’s now finishing 70% of his points successfully. Nicknamed a “servebot” for his blazing deliveries, Shelton has matured into more than just a cannonball server. He’s becoming a grass-court threat.

On the opposite side of the net, today will be Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, who arrives battle-worn but battle-ready. Sonego just survived the longest match of this year’s Wimbledon, a five-hour marathon against Brandon Nakashima. It was a brutal five-set war of attrition that tested both mental and physical fortitude. That effort has ballooned Sonego’s total court time at SW19 to nearly 9 hours and 49 minutes, a stark contrast to Shelton’s breezy domination.

However, Sonego hasn’t had a standout season overall. After a quarterfinal finish in Melbourne, he stumbled with early exits in Madrid, Rome, and Paris. However, he’s shown signs of life on the grass. The 2024 Winston-Salem Open champion cruised past Jaime Faria and Nikoloz Basilashvili before grinding out his epic against Nakashima. Ranked No. 47 in the world, Sonego has never been flashy on social media, but his tennis is speaking volumes again.

The H2H favors Shelton 3–1. Their last meeting? A five-set thriller in Paris at the French Open, where Shelton rallied for a 6–4, 4–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 win on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Now, they meet again, this time under the shadow of Centre Court’s sister, Court No. 1, with grass and adrenaline underfoot.

Shelton’s booming serve is tailor-made for these slick lawns as well. With a 23–14 career record on grass, the American is no seasoned veteran, but his lefty serve-and-volley game is catching fire. Leading the 2025 ATP Tour in aces per match (7.7), winning 94% of matches where he serves more than 3.5 aces, and saving 69% of breakpoints, Shelton’s serve is a lethal weapon. He wins 76% of his first-serve points and constantly applies pressure with bold court positioning.

Sonego’s numbers aren’t too shabby either, especially on hard courts, where he averages 9 aces and wins 73% of first-serve points. But grass isn’t his most dominant surface. A baseliner by nature, he thrives on longer rallies and strategic point construction. He converts 33.5% of his return games, while Shelton averages 1.8 breaks per match in best-of-three contests, a stat that could prove critical in best-of-five Grand Slam play.

With fatigue creeping in for Sonego and Shelton brimming with confidence, momentum, and perhaps a bit of fortune, this matchup is tilted heavily in the American’s favor. That said, don’t count the Italian out just yet; his fight against Nakashima proves his resilience. Still, Shelton’s weapons and freshness might be too much to handle.

A five-setter may be on the cards, but Shelton is clearly in the driver’s seat. And with his lucky charm, alongside a 148-mph missile, riding shotgun, he may just floor it into the quarterfinals.

Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon wish granted as his sister scores leaves

Ben Shelton has been blazing through Wimbledon, and while US soccer star and girlfriend Trinity Rodman has brought fierce courtside energy. However, it’s his sister Emma Shelton who’s quietly become his “lucky charm.” After sealing a commanding win over Marton Fucsovics, the American ace dropped a gem in his post-match interview that tugged on hearts, and maybe even a few corporate strings.

“I have been playing well this week. It’s not just me here; I have a great team. My parents are here, and my girlfriend is here. Also, my sister is here; she’s been here in every match I played in this tournament,” Shelton said. “She’s been my lucky charm, but she has work back in the US, so on Monday, she works for Morgan Stanley. So when you have something next, so… give her a couple of extra days off so she can really give this role, and that’d be great.”

And just hours later, Ben gave fans a peek into a golden sibling moment via his Instagram Stories. From what looked like his hotel room, he captured Emma in the background as he cheekily asked, “you got the week off or what?” Emma responded with a happy dance, clearly banking on that Wimbledon magic. Ben followed it up with a shout that sealed the deal: “shoutout to Morgan Stanley.”

The fun didn’t end there. Emma reposted the story, adding her twist with a playful caption: “thank you MS 💙💙💙, return flight got cancelled 🤪.”

With his sister still cheering from the stands and the QF on the horizon, all eyes are now on Shelton. Can the American powerhouse carry that energy to Centre Court? One thing’s clear: he’s got the luck and maybe even Wall Street on his side.

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