Steve Johnson has calmed any doubts around Ben Shelton following his shock exit from Wimbledon.
Shelton fell in Wimbledon round one, with the fourth seed losing a five-set thriller against qualifier Otto Virtanen.
The Finnish player now turns his focus to Briton Arthur Fery in round two at the All England Club, with Shelton left licking his wounds.
The American’s huge upset at Wimbledon has now been analyzed by his compatriot Steve Johnson, a former ATP professional.
What was the biggest shock from the first round of Wimbledon this year?
Plenty to choose from…
Steve Johnson says Ben Shelton Wimbledon exit is ‘nothing to panic over’
Speaking on the Nothing Major Show, Johnson said: “I think early in his career, we will call in 2023 and 2024, he did not do as well at the smaller tournaments like the 250s and the 500s.
“He was not as consistent but he was nails in all the big events and especially the Slams, because he just used his physicality. I felt like he just needed longer for him to play.
“So it is nothing to panic over. He is still at a higher winning percentage this year than he has been in any other year up until this point.
“So it’s like he is still winning more of his matches, they are just not happening at the bigger events like what we are accustomed to seeing Ben do. It’s just a bump in the road. He is still super young.
“I don’t know what it feels like to be the fourth seed at Wimbledon and have people talk about me as a potential finalist with the path of the draw, there is still so much to unpack. He just didn’t play great today and was a little nervous.
“But there is nothing to panic about, he is still winning at a higher percentage, he is just doing it at the smaller level which is something that we have not seen for the first four or five years of his career. It’s a bummer for sure, but he will figure it out, there’s no doubt.”
Plenty of pressure was on Shelton as the highest-ranked American man at Wimbledon, particularly given his nation’s Grand Slam title drought.
But it wasn’t meant to be for the 23-year-old, who made it to the quarterfinals last year before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
Ben Shelton’s worrying return efforts in Wimbledon defeat
Unsurprisingly, Shelton’s shock exit has been attracting plenty of attention elsewhere, with Brad Gilbert also sharing his take.
Gilbert, who used to coach American WTA star Coco Gauff, said on The Big T podcast: “Go back to the draw show when I was talking about Ben Shelton in a week.
“Even back when we talked about him winning Stuttgart, what I have been most concerned about Ben Shelton is the return of serve.
“He only breaks it 12% of the time. The serve holds at 92% of the time, and if he faces a big server, you know, we get into serve bot matches, and I felt like after that third set, the way he’s playing, you got to find a way early in that fourth set to impose your will.
“I felt like he didn’t play such a great game early in that fourth set, and then I felt like Otto, all of a sudden, started to relax, and he really started free ripping.
“But early in the fifth is where the opportunities were there. 2-3, 15, 40. 3-4, 15, 40, and three of those points, he was in them. Remember, he missed a regulation backhand. There was another drop shot.
“But one stat I’m sure his dad and Ben, they’ll be crushed about, you know, he broke once, but he had 12 break point chances. And also, he led 8-5 in that super breaker in the fifth.
“And, you know, I felt like there were a few times, maybe some shot selection on some drop shots and a couple of shots that maybe he could have done some things differently, but full credit to Otto, I mean, he certainly didn’t play anything like a guy 140.
“He plays a lot better on grass. And for a big guy, though, he does have easy power. All of a sudden, next thing you know, the ball jumps off his racket, and he was a scary floater to begin with.
“But still, you would have liked to see Ben play a little better early in that fourth and convert one of those opportunities on the break point in the middle of that fifth set.”
| Return rating | 78 |
| 1st serve return points won | 22% (24/109) |
| 2nd serve return points won | 48% (31/65) |
| Break points converted | 8% (1/12) |
While Virtanen deserves immense credit for his display, it really was a very disappointing return effort from Shelton.
It is clearly a weakness of his game, with his father and coach Bryan Shelton now likely to work hard on improving it after his shock loss.
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