Ben Shelton recently lost to Daniel Altmaier in the second round of the Hamburg Open.
The defeat was Shelton’s third in five matches, having previously lost his opening matches in Rome and Madrid.
Is Ben Shelton in danger of an early exit at Roland Garros?
He's struggled since winning in Munich…
But before that, Shelton won the Munich Open, defeating Joao Fonseca and Flavio Cobolli.
A string of inconsistent results makes it almost impossible to judge whether or not Shelton is having a good season.
Ben Shelton doesn’t look any closer to challenging the top players despite winning two titles this year
Shelton has won two titles this year, lifting trophies in Dallas and Munich.
As one of just four players to have won multiple ATP singles titles this year, you’d think he’s had a stellar season.
After all, he sits inside the top eight of the ‘Live ATP Race to Turin’, on course to qualify for this year’s ATP Finals.
Live ATP Race to Turin
| Rank | Name | Country | 2026 Titles | 2026 Points |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 5 (Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, Italian Open) | 5,900 |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 2 (Australian Open, Qatar Open) | 3,650 |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 0 | 3,040 |
| 4 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 2 (Brisbane International, Dubai Tennis Championships) | 2,210 |
| 5 | Arthur Fils | France | 1 (Barcelona Open) | 1,890 |
| 6 | Ben Shelton | USA | 2 (Dallas Open, Munich Open) | 1,630 |
| 7 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 0 | 1,410 |
| 8 | Casper Ruud | Norway | 0 | 1,390 |
| 9 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 1 (Rotterdam Open) | 1,365 |
| 10 | Luciano Darderi | Italy | 1 (Chile Open) | 1,335 |
However, when you look past his two excellent weeks in Dallas and Munich, the underlying issue becomes clear.
Ben Shelton’s 2026 record outside of Dallas/Munich (8-8)
- ASB Classic 2R [WIN] vs Francisco Comesana, 7-5, 6-4
- ASB Classic QF [LOSS] vs Sebastian Baez, 5-7, 3-6
- Australian Open 1R [WIN] vs Ugo Humbert, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6
- Australian Open 2R [WIN] vs Dane Sweeny, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
- Australian Open 3R [WIN] vs Valentin Vacherot, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6
- Australian Open 4R [WIN] vs Casper Ruud, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
- Australian Open QF [LOSS] vs Jannik Sinner, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6
- Indian Wells 2R [WIN] vs Reilly Opelka, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3
- Indian Wells 3R [LOSS] vs Learner Tien, 6-7, 6-4, 3-6
- Miami Open 2R [LOSS] vs Alexander Shevchenko, 7-6, 6-7, 3-6
- Houston Open 2R [WIN] vs Zhang Zhizhen, 7-6, 7-6
- Houston Open QF [LOSS] vs Thiago Agustin Tirante, 7-6, 3-6, 4-6
- Madrid Open 2R [LOSS] vs Dino Prizmic, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7
- Italian Open 2R [LOSS] vs Nikoloz Basilashvili, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6
- Hamburg Open 1R [WIN] vs Marcos Giron, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6
- Hamburg Open 2R [LOSS] vs Daniel Altmaier, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6
Shelton has a 50% win rate at every other tournament he’s played this season.
And he’s only won multiple matches at three events this year: the Australian Open, Dallas Open, and Munich Open.
If you were to subtract the points he earned from those events, he’d sit 125th in the ‘Live ATP Race to Turin’, with 230 points.
Shelton’s performances in Melbourne, Dallas, and Munich shouldn’t be overlooked; if anything, they should be celebrated, but his inability to maintain that level elsewhere on tour is a genuine concern.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Shelton will struggle to challenge for a top-three spot unless he starts winning matches every week.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for the American number one, but there is work to be done if he is to fulfil his very evident potential.
Why Ben Shelton may not be concerned about his inconsistency
With all that being said, some of the best players in the sport often find their form when it matters most.
And Shelton seems to possess that attribute.
The 23-year-old is an excellent Grand Slam performer and has reached the quarter-finals or better at five of the 14 main draws he’s entered.
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 | – |
| Wimbledon | – | – | 2R | 4R | QF | – |
| US Open | Q2 | 1R | SF | 3R | 3R | – |
He’ll hope to do the same at the upcoming French Open.
Roland Garros is statistically Shelton’s worst Grand Slam tournament, although he impressed in Paris last year.
Ben Shelton at the 2025 French Open
- French Open 1R [WIN] vs Lorenzo Sonego, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
- French Open 2R – Walkover
- French Open 3R [WIN] vs Matteo Gigante, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
- French Open 4R [LOSS] vs Carlos Alcaraz, 6-7, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6
Shelton beat Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Gigante, before taking a set off the eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in the fourth round.
Luckily for Shelton, he won’t meet Alcaraz this year, as the Spaniard will miss the tournament due to injury.
With Alcaraz out of the picture, can Shelton return to form and make a deep run at Roland Garros?
Only time will tell.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
