On Wednesday, Jannik Sinner earned a commanding straight-sets win over Ben Shelton to reach the Wimbledon semifinals for the second time in his professional career. The performance by the World No. 1 left the American star in awe, and he shared a candid reflection afterward.
“His ball speed is really high. Never seen anything like it. You don’t see anything like it when you’re going through the draw,” Shelton said during the post-match press conference following the 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Sinner, according to the official website of the ATP Tour.
“When you play him, it’s almost like things are in two times speed. I’m usually pretty good at adjusting to that speed,” Ben continued. “It’s difficult when a guy’s hitting the ball that big, that consistently off both wings, and serving the way he is.”
The significance of the quarterfinal win is even greater considering Sinner entered the match with physical issues in his right arm, sustained during his previous match against Grigor Dimitrov. Those issues affected his ability to train normally in the days leading up to the match.
Jannik Sinner beat Shelton and will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals
“I thought he would be fine,” Shelton said when asked about Sinner’s injury. “You can’t go into a match thinking that the guy’s not going to be at 100 per cent. His ball was coming off pretty big today, so I didn’t see any difference.”
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The Sinner vs. Shelton rivalry
Wednesday marked the seventh professional meeting between Sinner and Shelton since 2023. The Italian star has built a clear edge in their head-to-head, winning six of those matches and losing only once.
Their first clash came at the 2023 Shanghai Open, where Shelton earned the victory. Since then, Jannik has dominated the matchup, with key wins in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon 2024, the semifinals of the Australian Open 2025, and now the quarterfinals on the English grass.
Shelton stays hungry for success
At just 22 years old, Ben Shelton has experienced a rapid rise in his professional career. He is ranked inside the top ten of the ATP Rankings and has already captured two titles. Still, he isn’t content. “I know that I’m not where I want to be. That’s kind of what I’m focusing on,” he said.
“I could sit there and be like, ‘Wow, 22 years old and I’ve been able to do these things and achieve these things’. But my mind is, I don’t know, critical. I’m a critical thinker. I’m trying to solve problems,” Ben added. “Obviously being closer and being in the later stages makes you even more hungry and makes you feel like you can do it and you can break through.”
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