Ben Shelton lost to Otto Virtanen in the first round of Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old travelled to SW19 with high expectations, as many believed Shelton had what it took to take advantage of the draw and make a deep run to the semis or even the final.
It wasn’t to be, though, as Shelton fell to Virtanen, the world number 140, in five sets, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 2-6, 6-7.
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After the match, the last American men’s singles Grand Slam champion, Andy Roddick, delivered his verdict on his countryman’s game.
Andy Roddick says Ben Shelton needs to be more tactically aware after struggling with drop shots at Wimbledon
During the latest episode of ‘Quick Served‘, Roddick shared his thoughts on Shelton’s first-round defeat.
“I love Ben [Shelton] and I love Bryan [Shelton],” he said.
“When I watch him, I feel like sometimes the play is scripted before the points start.
“There is a flow like this guy’s forehand cross was great today, but it felt like it was the same patterns, and the disruption was very forced.
“It wasn’t like we were shifting patterns, it was shifting as if I am going to serve and volley or I am going to come in all of a sudden.
“He hit a million drop shots, which did not work today, and I was like, at some point, there has to be an awareness that we have to put that away.
“We have to take things that aren’t working and make adjustments. Not full-on changes.
“I know that’s a nuanced thing with Ben.”
Roddick continued, suggesting how this defeat may affect Shelton.
“He wins a title coming in… This is going to be a loss that I think stings for a long time,” he said.
Ben Shelton’s 2026 grass-court record (6-2)
- Stuttgart Open 2R [WIN] vs Marcos Giron, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6
- Stuttgart Open QF [WIN] vs Sho Shimabukuro, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Stuttgart Open SF [WIN] vs Jiri Lehecka, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6
- Stuttgart Open F [WIN] vs Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
- Halle Open 1R [WIN] vs Lorenzo Sonego, 7-5, 6-3
- Halle Open 2R [WIN] vs Ethan Quinn, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
- Halle Open QF [LOSS] vs Taylor Fritz, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7
- Wimbledon 1R [LOSS] vs Otto Virtanen, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 2-6, 6-7
“If you are going to be that guy who is top three or four in the world, I don’t know that this is a result you can have.
“And I don’t think I am saying anything controversial by this, I am sure that Ben will tell you the same thing.
“I think that’s true [it’s the worst defeat he ever had].”
Ben Shelton’s Grand Slam performance timeline
| Grand Slam | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| Australian Open | – | – | QF | 3R | SF | QF |
| French Open | – | – | 1R | 3R | 4R | 2R |
| Wimbledon | – | – | 2R | 4R | QF | 1R |
| US Open | Q2 | 1R | SF | 3R | 3R | – |
Shelton hadn’t lost a first-round match at a Grand Slam since he made his main draw debuts at the US Open (2022) and the French Open (2023).
He was the highest seed to lose in the first round, and will now have to wait another year for a shot at Wimbledon glory.
Seeds that lost in 1R Wimbledon men’s singles
- [4] Ben Shelton
- [11] Casper Ruud
- [12] Andrey Rublev
- [14] Luciano Darderi
- [18] Francisco Cerundolo
- [26] Cameron Norrie
- [27] Ugo Humbert
- [29] Tomas Martin Etcheverry
- [30] Alejandro Tabilo
- [32] Matteo Arnaldi
What really went wrong for Ben Shelton at Wimbledon?
Shelton didn’t play badly against Virtanen, but narrowly came up short in their first-round clash.
Unfortunately for the American, that’s been the issue throughout his grass-court campaign.
Shelton won six matches and a title, but only won one match in straight sets.
If you rely on your serve to get you through tight sets and tiebreaks, eventually it will catch up to you.
Looking ahead to 2027, Shelton must find a way to win easily on the grass, giving him more margin for error in the tougher matches.
