Ben Shelton will be looking to make a deep run at the French Open, having already impressed at the Grand Slam level in 2025.
The American youngster reached his second Major semi-final in January, when Shelton qualified for the Australian Open final four.
Coming up short, Shelton lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 6-7, 2-6, 2-6.
After suffering several disappointing results on North American hard courts, Shelton bounced back on clay, making the biggest final of his career on the surface.
In Munich, Shelton lost to Alexander Zverev in the final of the ATP 500 event, 2-6, 4-6, having beaten in-form Francisco Cerundolo in the semis.
Heading to Paris for the French Open, Shelton says he is more than aware of the ‘opportunity’ he and his fellow Americans have to do something ‘special’.
Ben Shelton says American players have a ‘cool opportunity’ to end 26-year drought at the French Open
During his pre-tournament press conference, Shelton was asked whether he is already looking past the French Open, to Wimbledon and the US Open later in the year.
“I try to stay in the moment,” he said.
“Every time I’m at a Slam, it’s an opportunity at one of my four favorite tournaments to play. It’s my favorite format, it’s the moments I live for, I love playing the biggest events, I love playing at the Slams, they always have the best crowds, the most energetic crowds, the best atmosphere.
“I’m not looking forward at all [past French Open to Wimbledon], no matter how I rank the four tournaments, they’re still the four biggest and most important tournaments in the world.”
Shelton then reflected on the lack of American success in the French capital, something he’d love to change in 2025.
“I think this is a tournament that Americans haven’t had huge success in, 26 years since a finalist, something like that?” he said.
- 1999 French Open final – Andre Agassi [USA] beat Andrei Medvedev [UKR]
“So I think this is a really cool opportunity for Americans to do something big in an event like this, it really means something.
“This is a challenge, not my natural surface that I grew up playing on, but a surface that I want to become great on, a tournament that I want to do really well at and have deep runs, you know, if not this year then the following years, and make something special happen.”
No male American player has reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros since Andre Agassi last did so 22 years ago in 2003.
In 2024, Taylor Fritz came just short of ending the drought when he lost in four sets to Casper Ruud in the last 16.
He was, however, the only American to reach the fourth round, as his countrymen, Shelton included, suffered early exits.
| Player | Round lost in | Opponent | Score |
| Taylor Fritz | 4R | Casper Ruud | 6-7, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 |
| Tommy Paul | 3R | Francisco Cerundolo | 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 2-6 |
| Ben Shelton | 3R | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 4-6, 2-6, 1-6 |
| Sebastian Korda | 3R | Carlos Alcaraz | 4-6, 6-7, 3-6 |
| Frances Tiafoe | 2R | Denis Shapovalov | 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 4-6 |
| Brandon Nakashima | 2R | Hubert Hurkacz | 7-6, 1-6, 3-6, 6-7 |
| Mackenzie McDonald | 1R | Tallon Griekspoor | 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 2-6 |
| Marcos Giron | 1R | Jozef Kovalik | 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 |
| Alex Michelsen | 1R | Alex de Minaur | 1-6, 0-6, 2-6 |
| JJ Wolf | 1R | Carlos Alcaraz | 1-6, 2-6, 1-6 |
| Nicolas Moreno de Alboran | 1R | Brandon Nakashima | 1-6, 7-6, 3-6, 2-6 |
| Aleksandar Kovacevic | 1R | Grigor Dimitrov | 4-6, 3-6, 4-6 |
| Chris Eubanks | 1R | Jannik Sinner | 3-6, 3-6, 4-6 |
They’ll all no doubt be hoping for a better showing in 2025, and may well look to Agassi for inspiration.
Andre Agassi won the French Open title in 1999
Just three American players have won Roland Garros during the Open Era, the last of which being Agassi in 1999.
- 1989 French Open – Won by Michael Chang
- 1991 French Open – Won by Jim Courier
- 1992 French Open – Won by Jim Courier
- 1999 French Open – Won by Andre Agassi
Agassi had lost two previous finals before returning to the championship match in 1999.
Entering the event as the 13th seed, expectations weren’t the highest for Agassi ahead of the tournament, but he quickly proved his class, making his way through to the final.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| SF | Dominik Hrbaty | 6-4, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 |
| QF | Marcelo Filippini | 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 |
| 4R | Carlos Moya | 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-1 |
| 3R | Chris Woodruff | 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2R | Arnaud Clement | 6-2, 4-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 |
| 1R | Franco Squillari | 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 |
There, he faced off against unseeded Ukrainian Andriy Medvedev, who had beaten 1997 champion Gustavo Kuerten in the quarterfinals.
Medvedev dominated the first two sets, dropping just three games as he stormed into a 6-1, 6-2 lead.
On the brink of a third French Open final defeat, Agassi began to mount one of the greatest comebacks of his tennis career, taking the third and fourth sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Taking the decider 6-4, Agassi lifted his sole French Open title, completing the Career Grand Slam in the process.
Only time will tell if any American player can end the nation’s wait for a title at Roland Garros in 2025, but it’ll certainly be worth looking out for.
Shelton will begin his French Open campaign against Lorenzo Sonego on Sunday, May 25.
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