“This guy has got more upside than any other American, I believe,” remarked American ATP legend John McEnroe two years ago after Ben Shelton secured an all-American quarterfinal clash against Frances Tiafoe in the US Open that year. The 20-year-old Shelton was ranked 47 at the time, and it wasn’t until New York that he had been able to win back-to-back matches in a tour-level event. It only goes on to show how far he has come in these two years.

And through these two years, McEnroe has remained firm on his stance. “He certainly, and I believe soon will be in the top ten in the world,” he said live on TNT after Carlos Alcaraz got the better of Shelton in the fourth round of the French Open. Well, Shelton is currently ranked 6th in the world. If we take a look at his performances in this season, Shelton has a win-loss record of 36-16. His one and only title triumph (of the season) came recently at the 2025 Canadian Open. It was his first Masters 1000 title! Surely, there is plenty more to come for this 22-year-old, but, much like what happened in Paris this year, the brilliance of fellow 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz still continues to overshadow the young American and his compatriots.

If we take a look at the list of players who have featured in most Masters 1000 semifinals (active players), Novak Djokovic leads the race by 79 appearances, while he’s followed by Alexander Zverev (21), Stefanos Tsitsipas (16), Daniil Medvedev (15), and others. Jannik Sinner has a record of making it to 12 semifinals in the Masters 1000, while it’s 11 for Carlos Alcaraz. However, the Spaniard will have a chance to level it up with his fierce rival with a win against Andrey Rublev in the QF. Surprisingly, there is no American in that list!

Among the American men who are ranked in the Top 20, Taylor Fritz comes closest to Alcaraz’s tally with 7 semi-final appearances at Masters 1000 events. He is followed by Tommy Paul (4) and Frances Tiafoe (2). And while Ben Shelton’s title-winning campaign at the Canadian Open saw his only semi-final appearance at an event of that level, he may well be on his way to record his second. The 22-year-old is still alive at the 2025 Cincinnati Open as he’s now all set to take on the world number 3 Alexander Zverev in the QF . It will be Shelton’s third Masters 1000 QF of the season. Shelton defeated the Czech star, Jiri Lecheka 6-4,6-4 in the previous match and is hungry for more.

Ben Shelton has no intention of slowing down

Ben Shelton required just 81 minutes to beat Jiri Lehecka in the previous match. With that win, he not only secured his third Masters 1000 QF of the season, but he has now also become the first American ATP player to reach the final eight in both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open in the same season since the former pro, Mardy Fish (achieved in 2012).

In the match against Lehecka, Shelton lost just six points behind his first serve, hitting eight aces with just two double faults. Ben Shelton will next face someone against whom he has a record of 0-3! However, those numbers aren’t enough to dampen his spirits before this high-voltage clash against Alexander Zverev.

“I’m hungry, I’m in a good rhythm. I’m playing good tennis and my body feels good. I think the confidence, along with not being satisfied, wanting to prove myself over and over every time that I’m out on the court, and having things to that I want to get better at is a huge motivation for me, and it pushes me every match,” said Shelton in his post-match interview.

Interestingly, Ben Shelton is now just one win away from another PIF ATP Rankings milestone. If he manages to beat Zverev in the next match, then he’ll crack into the Top 5 for the first time in his career and become the first left-handed American to reach Top 5 since…John McEnroe in 1990.

Ben Shelton could also become the first player to complete a Canada-Cincinnati Masters 1000 sweep since Rafael Nadal in 2013. If he can’t beat Alcaraz in Masters 1000 SF appearances, then beating him to a record of his idol wouldn’t be a bad alternative, don’t you think?