Ben Shelton has won the biggest title of his career in Toronto after defeating Karen Khachanov in the final to clinch the Canadian Open.
Shelton came back from a set down to beat Khachanov 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 and secure a maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown.
The American became the sixth US player to win a Masters 1000 event before turning 23, following Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick.
It was a big accomplishment for Shelton, who claimed that there is something he has been overlooking for a while that has made a huge difference in his results.
Ben Shelton pinpoints what he has changed in his game recently
In his post-match press conference, the 22-year-old said: “I think that the more opportunities that you have, the more times you put yourself in the position to be playing against the best players in the world, you’re only going to get better.
“So, for me it’s being in the later stages of the tournament and playing against guys who are playing their best tennis to see where I match up, and see where my weaknesses are and where I can get better.
“I think that watching film is a huge piece for me, something that I didn’t do as much in the past, and as of late it’s been kind of an every-match thing for me, at least watching one match or one set start to finish on the guy I’m playing.
“I think it’s an important piece of the game that maybe I overlooked a little bit in the past, or didn’t think was as important, because I was like, I’m going to impose my game on whoever I was playing, but it’s a really important part of the game.
“I think that my tennis IQ and my tennis mind are something that is getting better, and something that needs to continue to get better.”
Ben Shelton’s impressive record since the start of Wimbledon
Since the beginning of his Wimbledon campaign, Shelton has won 13 of his last 15 matches on the ATP Tour.
He advanced to the quarterfinals at the All England Club, dropping just one set, but was ultimately beaten by the world number one Jannik Sinner.
| Tournament | Result |
|---|---|
| Canadian Open | Champion |
| Washington Open | Semifinals |
| Wimbledon | Quarterfinals |
At the Washington Open, he made it to the semifinals, defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe en route, before falling to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In Toronto, Shelton earned big wins against Alex de Minaur and world number four Taylor Fritz on his way to the crown.
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