Ben Shelton is through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the second consecutive year after overcoming 12th seed Casper Ruud.
The American, in pursuit of his first Grand Slam title, came back from a set down on Rod Laver Arena to beat Ruud, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Shelton‘s next assignment at Melbourne Park comes in the form of defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom he is on an eight-match losing streak.
Has anyone in tennis history ever hit the ball as hard as Jannik Sinner does?
The last time he managed to defeat the Italian was in their first career meeting at the 2023 Shanghai Masters, where the US star won in three sets.
Ahead of his biggest test so far at the Australian Open, Shelton was seemingly confident despite the incredibly lopsided head-to-head.
Ben Shelton previews his match with Jannik Sinner in Melbourne
When asked what he thinks will be different in his upcoming match with Sinner compared to their previous bouts, the 23-year-old responded: “I think my game is a lot different.
“I think the way that I’m executing, one, at the net is going to be a huge advantage to me. I think the way that I’m mixing things up from the baseline is a lot different than a year ago.
“I struggled to find my rhythm tonight. You know, it was my first time playing at night since I’ve been here, and the conditions were completely different.
“But I got through a tough four-set win, and for the most part since I’ve been here, I’ve never hit my forehand this good. I feel like I have great control.
“I feel like I’m hitting it bigger than I’ve ever hit it. I think my return game has improved a lot. A year ago today, I wasn’t comfortable hitting a forehand return. I didn’t put a lot in play. I had to go to the chip a lot to put it in play.
“And now I’m getting to a point in the match where I feel like I’m [in] lock-down mode, and I can’t miss one.
“I think that that is a piece that really helps me, because you got to play offensive tennis to beat the best guys.
“I think that, you know, all those things together are what makes my game a little bit different than where I was at before. But I think, you know, everyone is working and making improvements all the time.”
Ben Shelton’s results against Jannik Sinner in 2025
Shelton played Sinner four times during the 2025 season, two of which came at Grand Slams.
Their first clash last year was in the semifinals of the Australian Open, where Sinner came out on top in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2.
What has been the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far?
At Wimbledon, Shelton met Sinner in the quarterfinals and put in a slightly better performance, but still lost 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Sinner defeated Shelton again at the Paris Masters, 6-3, 6-3, and emerged victorious in their most recent matchup at the ATP Finals, 6-3, 7-6.
The two young stars will now do battle for the 10th time, with a place in the semifinals up for grabs.
Shelton is bidding to make the final four at the Australian Open for the second year in a row, and for the third time at a Grand Slam overall.
Sinner, on the other hand, is just three wins away from completing a three-peat in Melbourne, becoming just the second player in the Open Era to do so, following Novak Djokovic.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
