Ben Shelton cruised past Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4 to secure his place in the Munich Open final for the second consecutive year. He is set to face Flavio Cobolli, who upset the reigning champion, Alexander Zverev, in the other semifinal clash.
By punchng his ticket to the final, Shelton achieved an incredible feat, becoming the first American to reach back-to-back finals on European clay since Jim Courier at Roland Garros (1991–1993).
This marks Shelton’s second final of the season, following his victory over compatriot Taylor Fritz at the Dallas Open. Consequently, Shelton becomes the fourth player this season to reach ATP Tour finals on both clay and hard courts, joining an elite list that includes Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Cobolli.
Shelton with a golden chance to enter the top 5
Shelton is currently the top-ranked American on tour, holding the World No. 6 spot, while Taylor Fritz sits at No. 8. Tommy Paul rounds out the U.S. podium, currently positioned at No. 18 in the rankings.
Back-to-back Munich finals for @BenShelton! 👏@BMWOpen500 | #BMWOpenbyBitpanda pic.twitter.com/HiKbWTAJyr
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 18, 2026
Should he lift the Munich trophy on Sunday against Cobolli, Shelton would leapfrog Felix Auger-Aliassime to return to the top 5—a position he hasn’t held since November 2025.
A shot at redemption in Munich
In 2025, Shelton came close to the title but fell to Zverev 6-2, 6-4, handing the German his first-ever Munich crown. Now, the American has a prime opportunity for redemption when he faces the 23-year-old Cobolli on Sunday, April 19.
Shelton holds the upper hand in their head-to-head history, having defeated the Italian in three of their five encounters. Their most recent meeting took place at the Paris Masters, where Shelton emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle.
