Ben Shelton will soon get his fourth Roland Garros campaign underway.
The American star, ranked sixth in the world currently, enjoyed his best finish at the major last year by reaching the fourth round.
Shelton ultimately fell to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in round four of the 2025 tournament.
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Heading into this year’s edition of the French Open, the 23-year-old has played at five clay-court events and won his first at ATP 500 level on the surface at the Munich Open.
Before kicking off his run in Paris, Shelton reflected on his 2026 season thus far, which has seen both highs and lows.
Ben Shelton reflects on his 2026 season before the French Open
Asked about his season in his pre-tournament press conference, Shelton replied: “It’s been super up and down for me.
“Honestly, I’ve been kind of disappointed in my season, and then I look and I’m six in the race.
“But I think that that inconsistency has been a big piece for me that I’ve been trying to iron out, and improve.
“It certainly hasn’t been an easy year for me on the court, off the court, but that’s one piece moving forward that I’m definitely trying to get better at.
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“And at the same time, to be able to be finishing out weeks and finishing, you know, when I do make runs with titles is another one of my big goals.
“So on one side, very happy, and on the other side, you know, there’s a lot to improve upon, get better at. I’m still not the player that I want to be and I have a lot of work to do, but, you know, winning titles and going deep at slams is my biggest goal is for sure.”
Ben Shelton’s first opponent at the 2026 French Open
Shelton’s first-round assignment at Roland Garros comes in the form of Daniel Merida Aguilar, whom he has never faced before.
Should he advance, he’ll take on either Aleksandar Vukic or Raphael Collignon in the second round.
On the other end of Shelton’s quarter of the draw is Jannik Sinner, who will be the overwhelming favourite to win the tournament.
Other big names in Shelton’s quarter include Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe.
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