Reflecting on a “rollercoaster” 2025 season, Ben Shelton is preparing for his campaign at the Paris Masters after a year of mixed results. The American’s season has been marked by significant highs, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open, alongside periods of inconsistent form.
Shelton’s strongest Grand Slam performance came at the Australian Open, where he reached the semifinals. He also made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, the fourth round at the French Open, and the third round at the US Open. In addition to his Canadian Open triumph, he finished as the runner-up at the BMW Open in Munich and was a semifinalist at the BOSS Open and the Citi DC Open.
“For me, it hasn’t been all straightforward,” Shelton told Tennis TV. “There have been times where I’ve played really well and times where I haven’t, and had to get myself out of a slump. I think that’s just tennis. It’s a rollercoaster for me to be able to find my great tennis more consistently later in the year.”
The World No. 6 noted his satisfaction with his performance during the North American hard-court swing, which he called his favorite part of the season. He also stressed the importance of continuous evolution in the highly competitive landscape of men’s tennis.
“If you don’t keep improving, you get passed,” he explained. “There are so many good young players and talent coming in. I just try to get better and make my level better year after year… if you’re just trying to stay where you’re at or maintain, you fall behind, and that’s always been my philosophy.”
Coming off a second-round exit to Jaume Munar at the Swiss Indoors, the fifth-seeded Shelton will begin his Paris Masters tournament against Flavio Cobolli. The Italian advanced by defeating Tomáš Macháč 6-1, 6-4 in his opening match.
The head-to-head record between Shelton and Cobolli is tied at two wins apiece. Shelton won their most recent encounter in a tight three-setter in the fourth round of the Canadian Open. The winner will advance to face either 12th seed Andrey Rublev or Learner Tien in the third round.
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