Ben Shelton reaches Stuttgart semifinals, sets historic milestone for American tennis

On Friday morning, Ben Shelton secured a solid 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals of the BOSS Open in Stuttgart, earning his spot among the tournament’s final four. The win also allowed the current world No. 12 to reach a historic milestone for American tennis.

Qualifying for the semifinals of the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart gave Shelton the points needed to move into the top 10 of the ATP rankings starting next Monday. This was possible because the player currently at No. 10, Alex de Miñaur, is not competing in any tournament this week, while Daniil Medvedev (No. 11) was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Libema Open.

At just 22 years old, Shelton will become the first American-born player from the 2000s generation to reach the ATP top ten. He will also be the seventh player worldwide to achieve this impressive milestone.

Before Ben Shelton, the players born in the 2000s who broke into the top ten were Felix Auger-Aliassime (born in 2000), Jannik Sinner (2001), Carlos Alcaraz (2003), Holger Rune (2003), Jack Draper (2001), and Lorenzo Musetti (2002).

Ben Shelton will face Alexander Zverev in the BOSS Open semifinals

Additionally, the United States will solidify its position as the country with the most players in the ATP top ten. Until now, they were the only nation with more than one player in the top ten, but with Shelton’s arrival, that number will increase to three: Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton.

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What did Shelton say after reaching this milestone?

After his match against Lehecka on Friday, Shelton was interviewed on court and asked about his feelings after becoming the first American born in the 2000s to reach the top ten. “If that’s true it’s really cool, a big milestone in tennis,” he said. “I guess Stuttgart is the place where Americans break into the Top 10, because I think you guys all saw Frances Tiafoe do it here a couple of years ago when he won that title.”

However, the left-handed player made it clear that his priority right now isn’t to savor the achievement but to keep pushing forward. “I’m just thinking about this week. I want to keep going this week. I’m going to give it my all for the rest of this tournament,” Ben added.

What’s next in Stuttgart?

Ben Shelton advanced to the semifinals of the BOSS Open, where he now faces a tough challenge: he will play the top seed and local favorite Alexander Zverev, who reached this stage after defeating Brandon Nakashima. Taylor Fritz eliminated Marton Fucsovics and will face Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Justin Engel.