Ben Shelton Hits Career-High ATP Ranking with Top 10 Debut

Shelton made his ATP Tour debut as a wildcard at the 2022 Atlanta Open, defeating Ramkumar Ramanathan in the first round before falling to John Isner in three sets in the second.

He received a second wildcard to the Cincinnati Masters a few weeks later, where he recorded his first victory over a top-100 player after his win over World No. 56 Lorenzo Sonego. He went on to defeat World No. 5 Casper Rudd in a three-set battle for his first top-10 win.

Shortly before the 2022 US Open, Shelton announced that he would be joining the professional tour, leaving his college team at the University of Florida. Shelton won two SEC Championships and the 2021 NCAA Championships, Florida’s first national title, over the course of his college career.

He finished the 2021-22 season as the top-ranked collegiate tennis player in the US as both the SEC and National Player of the Year.

Since the start of his professional career, Shelton played hard and fast, quickly rising through the rankings while defeating some notable opponents.

Then, 2023 proved to be his breakout year with a run to his first Major semifinal at the 2023 US Open and claiming his maiden ATP title at the 2023 Japan Open Tennis Championships. He cracked the Top 20 with a spot at World No. 15 after winning his first title.

A second tour title came in 2024 in Houston on clay, and Shelton became the youngest American No. 1 since Andy Roddick in 2004. He reached a second Major semifinal at the 2025 Australian Open, falling to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the American’s rise is his killer serve, one he can serve at up to 150 mph.

As a lefty, his kick serve proves dangerous to top-ranked players, averaging at 126 mph in placements all around the service box. It’s a serve that’s helped him take advantage of key moments to avoid service breaks while relying on speed and net play to break others.

Shelton is back in action tomorrow morning at the Queen’s Club in London as the sixth seed, where he looks to play for his first ATP 500 title.