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Ben Shelton enjoyed a career-best season in 2025, cracking the top five of the ATP rankings and winning his maiden Masters 1000 title. However, Chris Evert's ex-husband, former British tennis pro John Lloyd, feels that there are still a few holes in his games that's stopping him from taking his career to the next level.
Lloyd analyzed Shelton's game during his appearance on the Inside-In Tennis Podcast. While he was complimentary of the young American's achievements thus far, he opined that he is still very much a work in progress. According to him, Shelton's questionable shot selection and tactics when under pressure are holding him back.
“Ben Shelton to me is one of these players who you just don’t know with the way he plays, is he ever going to get tennis? In terms of knowing what to do on the right points. He had a very good year this year and got better but there is still such a rawness there and you just wonder how long it will take," Lloyd said.
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Despite the deficiencies in his game, Shelton has established himself as a reliable top player. However, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, two players close to him in age, have dominated the tour for the past two years. The American will be keen to break their duopoly next season, which he will commence in a familiar place.
Ben Shelton to kick off the 2026 season at the ASB Classic
Ben Shelton will get his 2026 season underway at the ASB Classic in Auckland. The tournament will take place from January 12-17. This will be his fourth consecutive appearance in Auckland. He made his tournament debut in 2023, which also marked his first tournament outside of the US.
While Shelton bowed out in the second round on his debut in Auckland, he advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open a week later. He made the semifinals of the ASB Classic in 2024, though this didn't translate to a deep run in Melbourne. He lost in the third round of the season's first Major a few days later.
Shelton failed to clear the first hurdle of the ASB Classic in 2025. He bounced back with a semifinal showing at the Australian Open. He has either performed well in the lead-up to the Australian Open or at the Major itself. He will be motivated to break this trend with equally impressive performances at both tournaments in 2026.
