Coco Gauff and Trinity Rodman both send messages to Ben Shelton after he wins the Canadian Open title

Follow us on Google Discover

Ben Shelton has been rewarded for his efforts of late by lifting a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto.

After coming through in convincing style against compatriot Taylor Fritz, Shelton recovered from losing the first set to beat Karen Khachanov.

Shelton served a whopping 16 aces against the number 11 seed and was clearly delighted to finally get over the line at one of the big Masters events.

Shelton hailed Khachanov for his efforts ahead of the final, and the pair did manage to serve up a bit of a Masters classic in Toronto on Thursday night.

World number six Shelton was encouraged to copy something Taylor Fritz does before the match and after claiming the victory, he received some praise.

• READ MORE: Ben Shelton shares how he beat Taylor Fritz

Trinity Rodman and Coco Gauff react as Ben Shelton wins Masters 1000 event

This should have given Shelton the world of confidence ahead of the US Open as he looks to kick on now and win a maiden Grand Slam title.

Shelton thinks the landscape of American tennis is changing and after this memorable victory, he received an emotional message from his partner, Trinity Rodman.

She posted on Instagram: “I watch you every day work your a*s off. I see everyone who doubts you. You are so inspirational, and I’ve never been filled with this much joy. I love you and you are HIM. On to the next.”

Gauff didn’t post quite as much in the way of words and merely shared a message on his Instagram story, which read: “Big time”.

Shelton will be a dangerous opponent at the US Open

Shelton knows what it takes to get to the last four at Flushing Meadows, having achieved that feat in 2023, and he will be going for glory this time around.

The 22-year-old reached the quarter-final at Wimbledon, and that run will be something he takes heart from going into the final major of the year.

Shelton is a popular player on the tour and over the last 12 months, he’s showcased that he has what it takes to end America’s wait for a Grand Slam champion after far too many years.

The player is now up to number six in the world rankings and on current form, it will take a very dominant display to stop him from making the latter stages of the US Open.