Ben Shelton resumes singles campaign at Shanghai Masters

New Delhi: Ben Shelton returns to singles action at the Shanghai Masters this week with his attention firmly fixed on the final stretch of the 2026 season and a maiden ATP Finals campaign he hopes will end very differently from his debut last year.

Shelton has not played a singles tournament since reaching the US Open final last month, where he became only the second American male player since Andy Roddick in 2006 to reach the championship match at Flushing Meadows. Alexander Zverev denied him the title, but the run significantly strengthened his position in the race for the season-ending event in Turin.

With five weeks remaining before the ATP Finals, the 23-year-old is third in the ATP Live Race To Turin and is focused not only on qualifying but also on breaking into the year-end top five for the first time.

“I think it is a massive motivation,” Shelton said to ATP Media when asked about how big of a motivator ATP Finals qualification is. “I want to be there playing in the Final Eight. I want an end-of-year Top-5 finish for the first time. I think there are a lot of things to look forward to at the end of this year, and I am just excited about the position I am in to be able to compete for something big at the end of the year. I think I am in a good position, but I feel there is still a lot of work to do.”

Shelton’s motivation is also backed by a season in which he has already collected 39 tour-level wins, just three short of his career-best tally of 42 from 2024. IANS

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