"It hasn’t been just winning all the time" - Ben Shelton gets honest about his slumps & 'rollercoaster' 2025 season at Paris Masters

Ben Shelton reflected on his season and shared that it hasn't been linear, but finding his rhythm in the latter half of the year has always been integral to him. Shelton will head to the Paris Masters after his brief stint at the Swiss Indoors.

Ben Shelton was in contention at the US Open, but his maiden Grand Slam hopes were dashed after he suffered a left shoulder injury in the third round, retiring from the match against Adrian Mannarino. He returned to action at the Shanghai Masters, but was unable to find his pace, committing 22 unforced errors and exiting in the opening round.

At the Swiss Indoors as well, he suffered a second-round defeat to Jaume Munar, who delivered his best performance of the season and broke into the top 40. Shelton’s road to the ATP Finals has been fraught with challenges, but the American hopes to find his rhythm in the remaining tournaments, as tennis isn’t a linear sport.

In an interview on Tennis TV, the 23-year-old reflected on his season, saying:

“For me, it hasn’t been all straightforward. It hasn’t been just winning all the time. There has been times where I’ve played really well, there’s been times where I haven’t played so well and had to get myself out of a slump. I think that’s just tennis. It’s a roller coaster. For me to be able to find my great tennis more consistently later in the year has always been a great thing for me."

Shelton won his first ATP 1000 and his third career title at the Canadian Open this year. His achievement came two decades after American Andy Roddick made strides at the Indian Wells in 2005.

Ben Shelton shared that improving on the tennis court is integral to not getting passed

Ben Shelton at the Swiss Indoors Basel 2025 - Source: Getty

Ben Shelton has had significant success on the court, winning the Canadian Open title and rising to No. 6 from No. 21, the ranking he began the season with. As he heads to the year-end championships, Shelton explained that failing to improve himself in tennis could cost him dearly, as more talented players continue to emerge in the sport.

“Tennis is interesting because if you don’t keep improving, you get passed. There are so many good young players and talent coming in and making a name for themselves. So for me, I’ve just tried to get better and make my level better year after year, and that’s what I’m focused on," he said. (via Tennis TV)

Ben Shelton reached two Grand Slam semifinals in his career at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open.