On Saturday, Ben Shelton defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 to secure his place in the fourth round at Wimbledon. The win not only keeps his dream of a historic run on the English grass alive—it also puts him alongside one of American tennis’ greats, such as Andy Roddick.
Shelton became the youngest American player to reach at least the fourth round at three Grand Slams in a single year since 2004. He did it at just 22 years and 9 months old, matching a feat last accomplished by Roddick when he was also 22.
Shelton’s Wimbledon run began with a win over Alex Bolt, followed by victories against Rinky Hijikata and Fucsovics. With those results, he’s now reached the Round of 16 at a major tournament for the third consecutive time—after his semifinal appearance at the Australian Open and a fourth-round exit at Roland Garros.
He also matched his previous best result at Wimbledon, which came last year when he lost in the fourth round to Jannik Sinner. At other Grand Slam events, however, Shelton has gone deeper: he was a semifinalist at the 2023 US Open and, as mentioned, also at the 2025 Australian Open.
Shelton reflects on his third-round victory
After wrapping up the match against Marton Fucsovics, Ben Shelton held a press conference and expressed satisfaction with his performance. “I had a lot of fun today. It is always special playing here at Wimbledon,” he said, according to the official website of the ATP Tour. “This is my third time playing on Court 1. It is a special atmosphere. I am trying to make my way to Centre Court, maybe I will get there one day.”
The World No. 10 also opened up about the importance of the support around him. “It is not just me, I have a great team. My parents are here. My girlfriend is here. Also, my sister is here and she’s been here for every match that I have played so far,” Shelton revealed.
What’s next for Shelton?
Now in the fourth round, Ben Shelton will look to achieve his best-ever result at Wimbledon. To do so, he’ll need to defeat Lorenzo Sonego in the Round of 16, a match scheduled for Monday. The winner will face either Jannik Sinner or Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.
SURVEY How deep will Ben Shelton go at Wimbledon?
How deep will Ben Shelton go at Wimbledon?
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