Ben Shelton’s Strong Start at the 2025 US Open
In a solid start to the 2025 US Open, American tennis star Ben Shelton secured a convincing victory over Ignacio Buse in the opening round, winning in straight sets with scores of 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. This marks Shelton’s second consecutive year playing the tournament’s inaugural match on the famed Arthur Ashe Stadium after he triumphed against Dominic Thiem at the same venue last year.
On-Court Reflections
During his on-court interview, the sixth seed reflected on his positive experiences, stating,
“It’s starting to feel like home for me. This is the best court in tennis, my favorite place to play, my favorite tournament.”
Recent Achievements
Shelton, 22, recently achieved his inaugural Masters 1000 title at the Toronto tournament, making history as the first American champion of this event since Andy Roddick secured the title back in 2003. His path to the title included several tense moments as he battled through three deciding-set tiebreaks, setting a record for the most by any player in a single Masters 1000 tournament.
Match Performance
Against Buse, Shelton demonstrated his prowess by saving all five break points he encountered, although he recorded a surprisingly low five aces—his least in any victorious Grand Slam match to date. Since the beginning of 2024, he boasts an impressive record of 21-0 against unseeded players in Grand Slam events, falling just short of Jannik Sinner, who holds a 22-0 record in the same category.
Looking Ahead
With a two-day break, Shelton is expected to face either Pablo Carreno Busta or Pablo Llamas Ruiz in the second round on Wednesday. Meanwhile, fellow American and fourth seed Taylor Fritz was in action against compatriot Emilio Nava on Louis Armstrong Stadium, marking a significant moment as this is the first Grand Slam since the 2007 US Open to feature two American men seeded in the top eight, with Fritz and the sixth-seeded Shelton.
Other Match Updates
In other updates from Sunday’s matches, the 18th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina triumphed over Alexander Shevchenko with a remarkably dominant performance, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, whereas Jakub Mensik, seeded 16th, edged past Nicolas Jarry with scores of 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
