Ben Shelton and three-time Grand Slam champion sign up for Australian Open warm-up event

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Ben Shelton will return to the ATP Tour before the Australian Open gets underway.

Looking to improve upon his run to the Australian Open semifinals in 2025, Shelton is making sure he nails his preparation this time around.

While the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper head to Adelaide, and Tommy Paul heads to Brisbane, Shelton won’t play his first tournament of the year in Australia…

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Joining a three-time Grand Slam champion, Shelton will compete in the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

Ben Shelton and Stan Wawrinka sign up for the ASB Classic

Posting an announcement on their official X account, the ASB Classic shared their line-up for the 2026 men’s singles tournament.

2026 ASB Classic men’s singles line-up

American star Shelton is the big attraction, having broken into the ATP top 10 this year.

The 23-year-old reached the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, winning a career-high 13 Grand Slam matches over the course of the year.

He isn’t the only star travelling to New Zealand, however, as three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka is also set to appear.

The oldest player in the draw remains one of the most entertaining to watch, and finished the 2025 season in good form, picking up ATP Tour wins in Basel and at the Hellenic Championship.

Other notable names in the draw include the defending champion, Gael Monfils, three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud, and 2025 Miami Open champion, Jakub Mensik.

Only time will tell who will emerge victorious in Auckland, but interestingly, they might not want to…

Every ASB Classic champion since 2010

• 2010 – John Isner
• 2011 – David Ferrer
• 2012 – David Ferrer
• 2013 – David Ferrer
• 2014 – John Isner
• 2015 – Jiri Vesely
• 2016 – Roberto Bautista Agut
• 2017 – Jack Sock
• 2018 – Roberto Bautista Agut
• 2019 – Tennys Sandgren
• 2020 – Ugo Humbert
• 2021/2022 – Cancelled
• 2023 – Richard Gasquet
• 2024 – Alejandro Tabilo
• 2025 – Gael Monfils

What you may notice is that none of the names listed above went on to win the Australian Open.

In fact, the last player to win both tournaments in a calendar year was Roy Emerson in 1967.

As Shelton looks to end the drought of American success at the Grand Slam level (ATP), maybe he’d be better off missing out on the ASB Classic title!

Which American man has the best chance of winning a Grand Slam in 2026?

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Is Ben Shelton a real contender to win the Australian Open?

Yes and no…

If Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both suffer early exits, then yes, Shelton would immediately become one of the big favorites to win the tournament.

However, if the world’s number one and two make another deep run, you wouldn’t want to bet against them extending their Grand Slam streak.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Grand Slam streak

• 2024 Australian Open – Jannik Sinner
• 2024 French Open – Carlos Alcaraz
• 2024 Wimbledon – Carlos Alcaraz
• 2024 US Open – Jannik Sinner
• 2025 Australian Open – Jannik Sinner
• 2025 French Open – Carlos Alcaraz
• 2025 Wimbledon – Jannik Sinner
• 2025 US Open – Carlos Alcaraz

It’s tough to imagine anyone but Alcaraz or Sinner winning a Grand Slam, but Shelton will hope they slip up at some point.

That’s not to say he can’t beat the pair, although the head-to-head records don’t make for easy viewing.

Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record (0-3)

Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record (1-8)

It’s tough to predict whether Shelton can turn things around against the Spaniard and Italian in 2026, but it will certainly be worth tuning in for.

Shelton will compete in the ASB Classic, which begins on Monday, January 12, before the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, January 18.