Ben Shelton wins first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto
Ben Shelton won the biggest title of his young career on Thursday in Toronto, claiming the ATP Masters 1000 crown by battling through a gauntlet of top-tier opponents.
The 22-year-old capped his run with a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) comeback against Karen Khachanov. He beat five straight seeded opponents to take the title, including consecutive wins against Top 10 players Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz. In an all-American semifinal, Shelton did not drop serve in a 6-4, 6-3 result against Fritz.
In addition to his power game fueled by big serves and forehands, Shelton impressed with his rally tolerance throughout the tournament.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” said Shelton, the youngest American Masters 1000 champ since Andy Roddick won Miami in 2004. “It’s been a long week, not an easy path to the final. My best tennis came out when it mattered most. I was clutch, I persevered, I was resilient. All the qualities I like to see in myself.”
Shelton has now won titles in each of the past three seasons, having triumphed in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston last year. He has reached two additional finals, last year in Basel and this April in Munich.
With a Top 5 breakthrough within reach, and a chance to pass current world No. 4 Fritz to be the No. 1 American, Shelton is hungry for more.
Ben Shelton celebrates his Toronto title with his father and coach Bryan. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.
“I hope that this week kind of kickstarts me and gets me more consistent with the type of tennis that I want to play day in and day out," he said. "It's certainly going to push me to work harder. I feel like I have a good grasp now on the things that really work for me against guys who are playing some of the best tennis in the world, and the things that I need to continue to work on.”
An American team also won the women's doubles title at the 1000-level event, which alternates men and women each year between Toronto and Montreal. Coco Gauff and McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in Montreal after a 5-7, 6-4, 10-6 final victory against third seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai. The all-American team of Caroline Dolehide and Sofia Kenin also reached the semifinals, falling to doubles world No. 1 Townsend and her Chinese partner.
Read more: Townsend debuts at doubles world No. 1 after winning Washington title
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