Ben Shelton has withdrawn from the second event since his defeat in the US Open final against Alexander Zverev. He went straight from Flushing Meadows into Davis Cup duty for Team USA in Czechia, where he lost both of his singles matches as the Americans were eliminated from the tie. He then opted out of the Laver Cup entirely, with fellow American Brandon Nakashima stepping in for his debut in that event. Now the withdrawal comes from the tournament where his very first ATP title was won, the Japan Open in Tokyo. 

Shelton revealed the news in a post on the tournament’s Instagram page, where he described it as a tough decision because of the significance of this tournament in his career. 

“Hi guys, Ben Shelton here. I’ve got some bad news, sadly, I won’t be coming to the Japan Open this year,” he said. “I was really looking forward to seeing all my fans there again this year. It’s a tournament that I love, it was my first ATP title, and I always look forward to playing there.” 

Instead, he will begin his Asian swing at the Shanghai Masters, skipping Tokyo and the Laver Cup to recuperate from the taxing US Open. 

It is not the first time Tokyo has slipped away from him. Shelton also had to sit out the tournament last year due to a shoulder injury and will miss it for the second consecutive year, having won it in 2023 and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2024. Alex Michelsen, who enjoyed a strong US Open of his own this year, will now take Shelton’s place in the main draw. 

The American is at his career-high ranking of world No. 4, which he achieved after reaching the US Open final. However, this year has been a topsy-turvy ride for him. He has won four titles this season, more than half of his career titles (7), but between titles, Shelton has been inconsistent. Apart from Montreal, where he won his second consecutive title without dropping a set, his record in all the other Masters 1000 events is 1-4.

After reaching the Australian Open quarter-final at the start of the season, he could not replicate those results in the next two Grand Slams, exiting in the second and first rounds at the French Open and Wimbledon, respectively. Finally, the breakthrough came at his home Slam.

Happening Japan Open

Arthur Fils, who is set to enter the ATP top 10 for the first time this Monday, will still have to play through qualifying to reach the Tokyo main draw, the result of an administrative error during registration rather than anything related to form. It’s a bizarre situation for a player that wins this exact tournament back in 2024 and who would otherwise have been seeded third behind only Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe after Shelton’s withdrawal. 

Alcaraz, the defending champion, is confirmed to return and defend his title, headlining a field that also includes Taylor Fritz and Rafael Jodar. 

This year the tournament will carry extra emotional significance too, as Kei Nishikori is hanging up his boots at this very tournament. The former world No. 4 and 2014 US Open finalist, who announced his retirement earlier this year, has been given a wildcard to close out his career at home, a fitting send-off for a two-time Tokyo champion and the most successful Japanese man in the sport’s history.

Shelton is entirely focused on Shanghai, with a full recovery period ahead to bounce back from his second-round loss last year. If any other spot opens up in the main draw in Tokyo, the former world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas remains next in line as the tournament’s alternate.