Tokyo was ready for fireworks. The Japan Open, with its buzzing crowds and electric atmosphere, was set to welcome one of the ATP Tour’s most exciting young talents, Ben Shelton. The 22-year-old American, armed with a thunderous lefty serve and boundless energy, was expected to light up the courts in what has been a breakthrough season for him. But instead of the booming sound of aces, fans were met with silence. Shelton has now announced his withdrawal. His body once again betrayed the momentum of his rising career. Social media was soon flooded with messages of encouragement and prayers.

If we take a look at his season so far, Ben Shelton has played 55 matches and won 37 of them. His incredible performances, which also include his title triumph at the Canadian Open, have now helped him move one step closer to securing a spot inside the Top 5. But despite the incredible runs in this season, the world number six’s US Open campaign got derailed, following a shoulder injury during his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino. A disappointed Shelton was forced to retire in that match.

After the match, Shelton said, “Usually I’ll play through anything and just find a way. And whether it’s sickness or injury, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I’ve never felt anything like this before, so that was kind of tough; I guess, the uncertainty.” He claimed, “I never retired before. I’m not a guy who would retire if I could continue.” During the match, there were several times when we saw him needing medical attention. He was looking in some real pain. It has been almost 22 days since that unfortunate ending to his US Open campaign. His fans expected him to make a strong return at the Asian swing. But as things stand, he has not only pulled out his name from the Laver Cup but also from the Japan Open.

Shelton had won this title in 2023 and reached the QF of the event in 2024. This means he will now lose 100 ATP points due to this withdrawal. Perhaps he needs some more time to recover fully, and the youngster can’t afford to take any significant risks with his body at such an early stage in his career. His return date isn’t confirmed yet, but he needs to get back in action as soon as possible. He is currently ranked 5th in the ATP Race to Turin, hoping to debut at the ATP Finals in November. Time will tell if he can make it to the year-ending event or not, but fans have come out in numbers to wish him a quick recovery.

Tennis fans express their concern for Ben Shelton

For a player who thrives on rhythm and confidence, the timing couldn’t have been more cruel. Shelton’s absence will definitely leave a void in Tokyo. Reacting to Ben Shelton’s latest withdrawal, a fan tweeted, “Sad to see, hopefully he can get back out there soon!“

Not only the Laver Cup and the Japan Open, but Ben Shelton also withdrew his name from the USA’s Davis Cup squad. He was subsequently replaced by Reilly Opelka for the tie against Czechia in Delray Beach, Florida. However, despite being on the sidelines, Shelton didn’t forget to show his support for Team USA. Residing in Florida, where he played college tennis, Shelton still showed up to support his compatriots. Although this support wasn’t enough to push Team USA to a victory, team captain Bob Bryan did heap praise on the youngster for making the effort to turn up for his team. 

He said, “Ben Shelton, driving down from Orlando, he didn’t know if it was going to rain or not, but he just came to support the team. You know, that gave everyone a boost.” But seeing his withdrawal from the 2025 Japan Open, one of the fans wrote, “This isn’t all too surprising, but it is a shame. Hopefully, he gets recovered and comes back at his best.”

Seeing Ben Shelton in tears following his withdrawal from that US Open match, former pro Chanda Rubin said, “It was tough to watch.” But having said that, she also added, “I think that was a smart decision, and they’re going to have to make a lot of smart decisions going forward.” Now, after his recent withdrawal, a fan also claimed, “It’s a smart decision to not rush back from an injury. The tennis world will be waiting to see him back on the court. That’s tough to hear, especially since he’s been playing so well. Hopefully, he takes all the time he needs to recover.”

Following his exit from the US Open, Ben Shelton shared a post on IG with the caption, “NYC was a movie as always. Just a bad ending… I’ll be back.” He received a lot of support from not just the crowd inside the Louis Armstrong Stadium but also from his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman. She wrote a separate message on her own IG to show support for Shelton. “You are strength and dedication. I love you and you will be back stronger (followed by a series of heart emojis),” she wrote. Now, seeing his tough times, a few fans expressed their concerns, saying, “So painful.“

Amid all these, Ben Shelton was recently spotted enjoying his time off the court with his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman. The soccer star shared a TikTok clip where the couple was seen enjoying a game of football on the beach, passing the ball back and forth. Rodman sported a red bikini, while the tennis star wore a pair of shorts. Although it’s good to see he’s enjoying his time off the court, his fans want him quickly back in action with the racket in his hand; some of them tweeted, “😭 we miss you Big Ben 🇺🇸.” 

Although Shelton hasn’t won any major titles yet, he did manage to impress his fans with longer runs. Ben Shelton reached the SF at the AO and the QF at the Wimbledon Championships. With plenty of actions yet to come in this season and a lot more to prove in the next season, do you see ‘Big Ben’ as a real contender for major titles in 2026?