Ben Shelton’s ATP Finals campaign got off to a rather tough start yesterday, as he somehow lost to Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
Taylor Fritz will be hoping to get America off to a better start in this competition later today, when he faces a beleaguered Lorenzo Musetti, straight from losing to Novak Djokovic in the final in Greece.
He is expected to dominate the Italian and put himself in a really strong position to earn qualification into the semi-final.
Meanwhile, Ben Shelton has work to do to ensure he now reaches that same stage.
There is every chance that, should they both gain passage through the round robin, they could meet in the semi-final.
If that were to be the case, their relationship would certainly be tested as they clash for one of tennis’ biggest honours.
Ben Shelton speaks about Taylor Fritz ahead of the ATP Finals
Speaking to Russian outlet БОЛЬШЕ before his ATP Finals campaign got underway, Shelton actually discussed the intricacies of his relationship with Fritz, as two friends who are competing so ferociously with one another for top American honours.
For the majority of the year, the elder of the two has remained the top-ranked American, but the 21-year-old recently crept ahead after a stellar 2025 season, which included a maiden Masters 1000 title.
Admitting that competition is always fierce, he quickly dismissed any suggestion of animosity bred because of this, insisting: “Yeah, I think we’re competitors at heart.
“We’re great friends, as are pretty much all the Americans, and at the same time, we push each other. You know, we all are competitive, we want to be the best.
“There’s a reason why we’re in the position that we’re in, and we’re great friends, we’re all boys at the same time.”
Fritz is not the only person who has been characterised by the world number five, with Shelton giving his honest opinion on Jannik Sinner too late last week.
Ben Shelton needs to match Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2026
Whilst any matches between Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner are heralded by the tennis community, given it is currently the pinnacle of men’s tennis, there is a need for some competition.
After all, the last eight Grand Slam titles have been split between this duo, with Djokovic the last man to snag one in 2023.
Not only that, but Alcaraz and Sinner have actually contested the last three major finals too, further emphasising their duopoly over the ATP Tour.
Many have questioned who might emerge to disrupt their dominance, with Shelton and Jack Draper two young top-ranked talents backed to do so.
After a historic, career-best campaign for the former, he should feel confident of making the step up in 2026 to challenge this generational pair.
