Ben Shelton on ‘The Sinner’ failure: ‘I’m trying to put the pieces together’ | ATP Tour

ATP Tour

Shelton on Sinner’s failure: ‘I’m trying to put all the pieces together’

American lost all four important games against Sinner

January 28, 2026

Ben Shelton may have been stopped by Jannik Sinner for a fourth time at a Grand Slam, but the American left Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday feeling plenty inspired after another deep run into the majors.

The eighth seed dropped just one set in his fifth Grand Slam quarter-final before meeting the Italian again, with Sinner leading 9-1 in the encounter to extend his dominance in the competition.

“I think I’m getting better and I’m getting better and have less limitations,” Shelton said when analyzing his progress. “I think this game takes time and results don’t always come when you want them to. I’ve gotten to the point now where I’ve been held back by the toughest challenges in the game most of the time and I do think I’m getting close to putting it all together.

“I think the one time I do it is what gets me over the hump. It’s always been that way for me. Of course not to be discouraged by a performance like this, but I want to see myself get ahead of the game and see what I can do in the match and not just be behind because I know how I feel when I’m ahead in a major. I feel like I’m untouchable. I guarantee other top players feel the same way.

“It’s just a matter of time and work to put all the pieces together because I’m not complete yet, but I feel like I’m becoming more complete.”

Shelton reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 2023 at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old has since won three tour-level titles, including his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, and cracked the top 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

On the Grand Slam circuit, Shelton has repeatedly delivered good results, especially in the semi-finals of the US Open (2023) and Australian Open (2025). It’s in situations like this, he admits, that his competitive instincts are strongest.

“I was an addict. I became more and more addicted to the game, addicted to solving problems, chasing people who were ahead of me,” Shelton said. “There’s no better feeling than the pressure you feel in a major championship… That’s what drives me every day, and I feel like it’s getting stronger and stronger every year.”

Shelton’s destructive first serve and hurtful forehand sometimes caused trouble for the two-time defending champion Sinner, but he was unable to seize the opportunity at the crucial moment and ultimately lost 3-6, 4-6, 4-6.

“I think I had two second-serve chances today on break point and I think I missed them both, or maybe one of them I hit weakly and he spread me out pretty quickly,” Shelton said when reviewing the match.

“I think with other guys, I can stay neutral on the court or have to scramble on the first ball and then go back to neutral or attack. I do a really good job at that. But for a guy that’s plus-one on both sides, I need to do a better job and have more target on my second serve return, which I think is his attack on me. He’s able to put me in uncomfortable positions and start attacking my second serve a lot and makes me think about what serves I’m using.”