Ben Shelton arrived at Wimbledon 2026 with confidence, reflecting on his quarterfinal run last year. “I feel ready. I feel confident. Obviously just happy to be here playing at Wimbledon… it’s a big opportunity at this stage in the year to be playing here and just try to take it one match at a time,” he said.
Impressed by Serena’s return
Shelton praised Serena Williams’ comeback at age 44. “Seeing her out here, as focused as she is, really going for it at 44 years old is insanely impressive… one of the biggest icons in sports history, not just tennis,” he noted, adding that her presence brings excitement to the tournament.
Improving the return game
Grass courts often lead to tie-breaks, and Shelton acknowledged the importance of strengthening his return. “My return has improved a lot… it’s not just the return, it’s also the couple shots right after the return that are important. Grass court is probably the toughest court to return on,” he explained. He highlighted progress in his return statistics, moving from below average to around the top 50 level.
Views on prize money and player welfare
Shelton addressed the ongoing prize money debate. “I support the players 100%. If you’re a top 100 player, you should be able to by the end of the year be well in the green… one of the big things in our proposal was about having a seat at the table, some sort of player council for the slams,” he said. He emphasized the need for financial fairness and better player welfare, pointing to injuries among top stars as a concern.
Embracing higher seeding
Shelton acknowledged the significance of his highest seeding at a major. “I do feel comfortable on the tour at this point… I’m okay with living in the expectations that I have for myself, the goals that I set for myself,” he said. He also praised fellow American Zack, calling him “one of the best ball strikers on tour.”
American success on grass
Asked why Americans excel on grass, Shelton pointed to versatility. “I think Americans do play well on fast surfaces… we tend to volley well and have all-court games. Definitely in terms of serving, we have a lot of great servers,” he explained, while admitting he personally prefers the US summer swing.
Movement and control on grass
Shelton described his approach to handling slips and falls. “I think I’m pretty good at falling well… I more kind of learned taking extra steps in moving through the ball. It’s really important to not get injured, but you have to be able to have body control,” he said, stressing the balance between explosiveness and safety.
Shelton now enters Wimbledon with confidence, improved skills, and a clear focus on both his game and the broader issues facing players on tour.
ATP Wimbledon - Ben Shelton's projected path
Ben Shelton in 2026
Now ranked no.5 (career-high), the American played his last match on the 19th of June when he was defeated by world no.7 Taylor Fritz 6-7(5) 7-6(8) 7-6(3) in the quarter in Halle (draw).
This season Ben has a composed 25-10 match record. The American has won 3 titles in 2026 in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart.
