Ben Shelton has been given an exceptionally tough draw in his first appearance at the ATP Finals in Turin.
Shelton has had a record-breaking year on the ATP Tour, which included his first Masters title at the Canadian Open.
The 23-year-old has been drawn in a tough group alongside Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The world number five has spoken about Sinner ahead of their ninth ATP Tour meeting at the Italian tournament.
Ben Shelton heaps praise on Jannik Sinner ahead of the ATP Finals
Shelton is a huge admirer of the current world number one and he has praised his work ethic ahead of the ATP Finals.
Speaking to press at the tournament, he revealed: “Obviously everybody loves him here. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to play again against one of the best players in the world.
The rising American also shared what he’s spotted Sinner doing while on tour, which he’s a massive fan of.
“With Jannik, he’s always focused. He’s locked in.If there’s somebody practicing on the court, he’s always watching. You can tell how much he loves tennis, he is locked into the sport.
“There’s a lot of things to look up to that he does and admire. I think that he’s a great person, a humble champion, and it’s an exciting time in tennis to have the stars that we do. Stars that carry themselves the way they do.”
Shelton has beaten Sinner just once in their eight meetings, way back in 2023 when they played each other for the first time.
Shelton beat Sinner in three sets at the Shanghai Masters to confirm a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
How Ben Shelton qualified for the ATP Finals
Shelton might have qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time, but he’s actually won two fewer games than he did in 2024.
He has a 2025 record of 40–21, whereas his best performance for wins in a season came in 2024 when he had a record of 42–26.
| Date | Tournament | Tier |
| April 2025 | Bavarian Open, | ATP 500 |
| August 2025 | Canadian Open | ATP 1000 |
The American has won more titles in 2025 than any other season, however, and the key reason he qualified for the ATP Finals was his Canadian Open victory in August.
The Masters title win saw him beat two top 10 players in Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz and earn 1000 points.
