Ben Shelton continues to impress! The American, now in his fourth season as a pro, is on the rise. Ranked No.8, he has already won two tour titles. His progress? Absolutely sparkling. As a lefty, Shelton is already a tough competitor. His serve—consistently over 140mph—is called the “biggest in tennis” by many. And this season, he’s taken giant strides that even caught Andrea Petkovic’s eye!

Right now, the Citi Open is underway. The tournament kicks off hard court warm-ups for the US Open and ramps up the excitement. On the Rennae Stubbs podcast, German former pro Petkovic shared her thoughts on the event. She loves what she’s seen in Washington. However, revealing one name above the rest, she said, “I mean, so the thing with Ben is, if he plays well, I think he can beat anybody.” Strong words! And she’s got her reasons.

She pointed back two weeks to Shelton’s epic Wimbledon run. “The reason I say that, I think, is that I called his match with Jannik Sinner in the quarters of Wimbledon, and there were just margins separating the two.” And she’s right. Shelton didn’t just make his first quarters at SW19. He faced an injured World No.1 and gave a gutsy, jaw-dropping performance.

The odds weren’t in his favor, but the match was a true nailbiter. Shelton battled hard and later admitted he’d “Never seen anything” like Sinner’s game. Though he lost in straight sets, he won 14 games. Before that, he bulldozed his opponents with sheer grit. That’s what made Andrea so aware of his growth. She said, “Ben was playing so well, and when he came up on the scene, I think we all saw the raw potential that he possesses. But he was still kind of all over the place.”

Before the quarters, Shelton swept his first three matches in straight sets. He dropped the first set of his fourth-round match against Sonego but bounced back to win 6-1, 7-6, and 7-5. With that, he reached the quarterfinals at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships for the first time in his career. The ex-WTA pro was wowed by his rise!

Petkovic wrapped up her thoughts: “I think he’s the player that has improved the most in the last two years, from completely raw to, like, a professional, solid tennis player who, I think, soon will have major accomplishments. I don’t know why. I just think the way he constructs the points, and how he’s gotten better athletically, I really see incredible improvements with him.” Shelton’s stats support every word.

His 2025 season? Remarkable. He hasn’t clinched a title yet, but made the Munich final. He’s been storming deep into majors: semifinals at the Australian Open and quarterfinals at Wimbledon. His record so far? 23 wins, 15 losses. That’s consistent, high-level tennis. Wimbledon might not have ended with a trophy, but the US Open looms, and Shelton’s ready for more!

Ben Shelton eyes the New York Grand Slam

After Jannik Sinner knocked him out at SW19, Ben Shelton stepped into the press conference with grit still crackling in his voice. When grilled about silver linings, the 22-year-old didn’t flinch.  He said, “Yeah no, feeling more comfortable on grass for sure, the way I’m moving, the way I’m returning you know, hitting the ball from the ground, it’s better, it’s not where I wanted to be, but you know, I have six weeks to do everything humanly possible, be ready and better at the US Open. That’s my favourite tournament of the year. Going after it.” The defeat? Just more fuel for the fire. Shelton’s not backing down—he’s gearing up for New York.

Switching from the grass of Wimbledon to the hard courts of Washington isn’t always a gentle landing. But Ben Shelton is just embracing the challenge. At the Citi Open, Shelton rolled into action as the fourth seed, skipping the first round with a bye. Then he kicked off his run by dispatching fellow American Mackenzie McDonald, 6-3, 6-4, never missing a beat.

The momentum kept rolling in the third round. Facing Canada’s Gabriel Diallo, the 15th seed, Shelton barely blinked before grabbing a 6-3, 6-2 win. He didn’t just reach the quarterfinals—he stormed to his sixth quarterfinal of 2025. That consistency? It speaks.

Now, the stage is set for a cracker of a match: Ben Shelton takes on Frances Tiafoe for a shot at his fourth semifinal of the year. With the US Open still a month off, one thing’s clear—Shelton’s hunger is real, his tennis electric, and the hunt for glory? Far from over.