Ben Shelton is quickly becoming the name on everyone’s lips in the tennis world, and after a sensational week in Toronto, it’s not hard to see why. The 22-year-old American clinched his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy at the National Bank Open, overcoming a stacked field and a string of nail-biting matches to etch his name in the record books. His victory over World No. 16 Karen Khachanov in a 2-hour and 47-minute thriller—6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3)—was the crowning moment of a tournament that saw him dispatch four top-20 opponents, a feat not achieved by an American since Pete Sampras at Indian Wells in 1995.
Shelton’s run in Toronto wasn’t just impressive because of the silverware. He had to battle through a draw that, despite the absence of some of the sport’s biggest stars, still featured heavyweights like Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur. With World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, and young English ace Jack Draper all missing from the Canadian Open, the door was open for a new champion to emerge. Shelton seized that opportunity with both hands, demonstrating poise and power well beyond his years.
“I think everyone has a different path. Everyone's story is written differently. I've kind of done it my way,” Shelton reflected after his breakthrough win. “There's been a lot of guys to look up to, just because how young they have been when they have broken through and have had so much success at big tournaments. Tennis seems to be a sport that has young champions all the time, which is not common or normal, it's ultra impressive.”
From the outset, the final against Khachanov was a tense affair. Both players held serve through the opening games, trading aces and baseline winners. Khachanov struck first, breaking Shelton after a pair of hard-fought advantages. But Shelton, unfazed, clawed back with a break of his own in the tenth game, then fired three aces in his next service game to edge ahead 6-5. Khachanov, showing his own resilience, saved three set points to force a tiebreak and then rattled off four straight points from 3-5 down to snatch the first set.
The second set was just as tight, with neither player yielding ground until late. Shelton dug deep to win the ninth game, putting himself in position to serve for the set. Khachanov threatened with triple break point, but the American’s composure shone through as he saved each one, ultimately leveling the match at a set apiece. The championship would be decided in a third-set tiebreak, and this time Shelton wasn’t about to let it slip away. He grabbed the first return point, stayed solid on serve, and reached match point with his 38th winner of the day. One final unforced error from Khachanov sealed the deal, and Shelton collapsed in joy—ATP Masters 1000 champion at last.
This victory made Shelton the youngest American to win an ATP Masters 1000 title since Andy Roddick took Miami in 2003. It also propelled him to a career-high ranking of World No. 6 as of August 10, 2025. The leap in the ATP standings is a testament to his consistency throughout the season, having made deep runs at every Grand Slam and now conquering the upper echelons of the tour’s elite events.
It wasn’t just the fans who took notice. Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick, himself a Miami Open champion at a young age, heaped praise on Shelton’s evolving game. “His ability to drive the backhand, middle, and cross. He is not taking random cuts down the line with it, and when he does, it’s a finishing shot. But comfort in really taking big swings through the middle, through cross. He has developed that shot, and you say the chip is a change-up, no, it’s more than that. It gives him the option to change the pattern of the entire rally. That is a big deal. Once it comes to his forehand, he has got options,” Roddick observed on his podcast.
Shelton’s path to the title was anything but easy. He toppled World No. 4 Taylor Fritz in the semifinals and World No. 8 Alex de Minaur in the quarters—both considered favorites for the title, along with Alexander Zverev. Former No. 17 Flavio Cobolli also fell to Shelton on this memorable run. The American’s ability to handle pressure and close out matches against top-tier opponents is quickly becoming his calling card.
Yet, there’s little time for rest in the relentless world of men’s tennis. No sooner had the confetti settled in Toronto than Shelton was on a flight to Cincinnati, where another Masters 1000 event was set to begin. As the fifth seed, Shelton skipped the opening round and is set to face unseeded Camilo Ugo Carabelli on August 11, 2025, not before 7 p.m. ET on Center Court. Should he advance, a familiar foe awaits: Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut, who dispatched Cameron Norrie in his previous match. Beyond that, matchups with the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Jiri Lehecka could loom on the horizon.
Shelton’s ambitions don’t stop with back-to-back Masters events, though. With the US Open scheduled from August 24 to September 7, 2025, he’s setting his sights on another deep Grand Slam run. The hard courts of New York have already been kind to him—he reached the semifinals there in 2023—and his aggressive, athletic style is tailor-made for the big stage. The American ace acknowledges that consistency is the next step in his evolution. “I hope that this week kind of kick-starts me and gets me more consistent with the type of tennis that I want to play day in and day out. 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,” Shelton said after his Toronto triumph.
There’s no doubt that Shelton’s rise has been meteoric, but it’s also been well-earned. His growth in all facets of the game—his improved backhand, tactical awareness, and mental fortitude—has set him apart from his peers. With the tennis world’s attention firmly fixed on the young American, all eyes will be on Cincinnati this week to see if he can keep the momentum rolling. And with the US Open just around the corner, who knows what heights Ben Shelton might reach next?