Ben Shelton makes Top 10 debut, joins Fritz & Paul among ATP's elite

Shelton joins world No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 8 Tommy Paul in the Top 10, giving the U.S. three men in that elite group for the first time since Andre Agassi, James Blake and Roddick in April 2006. No other nation has more than one player in the ATP's Top 10.

When told he had clinched that breakthrough during his on-court interview, Shelton wanted to see it with his own eyes. Judging by his message on the camera lens, he must have received quick confirmation—even quicker than his rise to the Top 10 in just his third full season as a pro.

“I’m gonna go look... I’ve got to see it first," Shelton said. "If that is true, that’s really cool, a big milestone in tennis.”

In the summer of 2022, Shelton was still considering a return to Florida, where his father, Bryan Shelton, was his college head coach. But after he beat Casper Ruud in Cincinnati, it was clear he could cut it as a professional.

He added another title last year in Houston, and over the past 52 weeks also reached finals in Basel and Munich. The marquee results underpinning his Top 10 stats are a semifinal showing at this year's Australian Open and ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal runs at Cincinnati and Indian Wells. Shelton also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year and Roland Garros this summer, and advanced to the third round at the 2024 US Open.

Asked at the US Open about the quality of the American men's contingent, Shelton's words proved prescient: “The quality of U.S. men's tennis is 100% on the rise,” he said. “I think that we've had a lot of guys for a while that you think are going to start pushing through into the Top 15, Top 10, guys who have already been there as well who are finding their form again.

“This is the most guys that we've had in this competitive position in a while.”