The 2026 Nexo Dallas Open was a prestigious high-level tennis tournament and the only indoor Association of Tennis Professionals Tour championship in the United States of America.
Many American-born tennis players strive to compete in such an event, dueling against 60 world-class ATP Tour professionals.
And ultimately, it was a Florida alum who took the crown.
Just 18 days after suffering a heartbreaking Australian Open quarterfinal defeat, former Gator standout Ben Shelton won his first ATP Tour title of the year and his fourth career ATP title.
Coming into the tournament, Shelton was the No. 2 seed and the No. 9 player in the ATP rankings. To capture the crown, he knocked off the No. 1 seed, No. 7 Taylor Fritz.
In the tournament final Sunday, Shelton came back to defeat the fellow American, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Shelton’s run at the tournament began on Feb. 10 during the round of 32. Shelton made quick work of ATP No. 38 Canadian Gabriel Diallo, with two 6-4 sets. The Gator served exceptionally well, racking up 13 aces. He also favored the service boxes, where he spiked some impressive unreturnable balls.
With the first win of the tournament under his belt, the UF alum never hit the brakes. He played on the main stage the entire tournament, taking over Center Court in every match.
Moving on to the Round of 16, Shelton faced ATP No. 52 Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. As he advanced into the rounds, his serving only got better. He threw down 23 aces compared to Mannarino’s 12. The heat on the serves and the slams on the returns were too much for Mannarino to keep up with. While the Frenchman did provide the crowd with some stylish and impressive saves, such as his second set between-the-legs return, he ultimately fell 6-7, 7-6, 3-6.
“The better and better I get up at the net and with my footwork around the baseline, the more dangerous I become,” Shelton said in a post-game match interview with Tennis Channel on Feb. 12.
Shelton did exactly that, as he dominated up close in the service boxes. He also kept delivering thunderous forehands across all levels, making opponents run all across the court.
The quarterfinals consisted of 26-year-old, ATP No. 66, Miomir Kecmanovic meeting Shelton, where he bested the American in a back-and-forth 7-5 first set. The American served double the amount of aces, 14, and won the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, sealing the game with a fast curve-ball ace.
“He outplayed me on that set for sure. I had to ante up and know that it was going to come down to my serving and a couple games of shot making on the return,” Shelton said in a post-game match interview with Tennis Channel on Feb. 13.
Shelton faced his second Canadian of the tournament in ATP No. 40 Denis Shapovalov, the Dallas Open No. 7, and this one proved difficult. In a majority of the matches, Shelton took control of the service boxes, overpowering his opponents, but that tactic wouldn't work in this game. Shapovalov forced Shelton to remain steady on the baseline as they both returned dynamic shots. The Canadian volleyed extremely well with Shelton, but did not have enough as the Gator called game 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Making it to his first final of the new year, it was an All-American standoff. Both players went out swinging as Fritz delivered 14 aces and Shelton matched him with 16. But UF’s one and only iced the game despite it being an all-out slug fest.
He was all smiles after the match, having won his first ATP Title of the year.
“This is one of my favorite atmospheres I have ever played in,” Shelton said in the Championship speech on Sunday.
Contact Ethan Feinberg at efeinberg@alligator.org. Follow him on X @thefeinline.
Ethan Feinberg is a senior sports journalism student and the Spring 2026 men’s tennis reporter. He has previously written stories and produced audio sessions for WRUF, covering high school football. Ethan enjoys watching and playing sports like football and basketball, working out, fishing, cooking, and having a good laugh with his friends and family. His favorite sports teams are the New England Patriots, Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, and the Miami Marlins. (Drake "Drake Maye" Maye is the GOAT.)
