Ben Shelton falls in quarterfinal round of the Australian Open

Of all the best tennis players around the world, only 128 are chosen to compete in one of the most renowned tournaments in the sport.

Former Gator Ben Shelton had the honor of being selected as one of the players to compete for a chance to hoist the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.

As he entered his fourth Australian Open at just 23 years old, Shelton had high hopes of finally coming away with it all.

Despite his valiant effort, he was bested so close to the finish line. Italian star and second-ranked Jannik Sinner crushed those dreams, sweeping Shelton 6-3,6-4 and 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

In prior years, Shelton has faced elimination in the third round of 2024 and the quarterfinals of his debut in 2023.

This defeat adds to other past scars, as Shelton is now 1-9 against Sinner, who also eliminated him in the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2025. 

Nonetheless, their rivalry is built on nothing but respect.

Even in victory, Sinner acknowledged Shelton’s continued growth.

“Ben is an incredible player, and every time we face each other, he is interesting to see,” Sinner said.

Shelton has cemented himself as one of the best American tennis players of our generation, having already broken several records. 

At 20 years old, he became the youngest American man to play in the US Open Semifinals in 31 years since Michael Chang in 1992. Fast forward two years, and he is the youngest American man to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open since Andy Roddick in 2003.  

“I do think that I'm close to bringing it all together,” Shelton said at the Australian Open press conference Jan. 28. “I'm certainly not discouraged from a performance like this, but I want to see myself get out front and see what I can do from there in a match… it's a matter of time and work, just trying to put all the pieces together because I'm not complete yet, but I feel myself becoming more complete.”

Shelton opened the tournament Jan. 19 against Frenchman Ugo Humbert and was quickly matched after winning the first set 6-3.  Despite putting the first points on the board in the subsequent sets, Humbert fought back to tie each set, forcing a seventh game. Shelton prevailed, winning 7-6(2) and 7-6(5).  

Notching his first victory of the tournament, Shelton carried on this momentum with his sweep of Australian Dane Sweeny. The former Gator won in straight sets 6-3 and 6-2 twice.

The third round brought Shelton his first-ranked opponent of the tournament. No. 30 Valentin Vacherot from Morocco battled well, but not enough to advance. Florida’s star alum continued on to his next opponent with a 6-4,6-4, 7-6(5) win.

As the tournament progressed, the games grew longer as skill levels equaled out. Three days later, Shelton faced Casper Ruud, the twelfth-ranked player from Norway.

Ruud served Shelton his first set loss of the entire tournament, opening up 6-3. But the American quickly regained confidence, going on to win three straight, 6-4,6-3 and 6-4.

From this point on, Shelton knew his upcoming match was going to be the hardest of the tournament as he faced his skilled rival, Sinner.

Just nine days after the first round, the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, was given a spectacle. Sinner and Shelton traded phenomenal touch drop shots, powerful forehand strokes and impressive backhand returns.

Sinner brought the power and went up 6-3 in the first set. Shelton stayed in the match in the early stages of the game, trading shots back and forth. He even bested his opponent in various rallies, but as Sinner put all his power into his swings, Shelton seemed tired late into the night.

“I needed to be more aggressive and intentional with my second serve,” Shelton said. “With a guy who has the plus-one ability that he has off of both sides, I needed to be a lot better and have more purpose with my second serve return.”

With too much to overcome, Shelton was defeated after a great duel between two of the best players in the sport.

“I know how blessed and lucky I am,” Shelton said. “ But I'm an addict, I've become more and more addicted to this game and figuring things out. Chasing the guys who are ahead of me and feeling the pressure that you feel on the court at a Grand Slam, there's no better feeling. For me, it's a privilege to be out here every time.”

Shelton will return to the court Feb. 7 at the 2026 Nexo Dallas Open, which runs through Feb. 15. After another deep Grand Slam run, the former UF star leaves Melbourne not discouraged, but closer to the true potential he believes he is becoming. Shelton continues to show that it is no longer a question of if, but when.

Contact Ethan Feinberg at efeinberg@alligator.org. Follow him on X @thefeinline.

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