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Ben Shelton Issues Major Shoulder Injury Update as Novak Djokovic Looms in Shanghai

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Mintu Tomar | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 10:21 AM ET

Ben Shelton‘s historic Canadian Open win nearly two months ago boosted his confidence for his home slam in New York. But the 22-year-old was left in shambles, eventually. An unwanted companion halted his campaign. The world No.6 was devastated after he had to pull himself away from the US Open in the third round. That shoulder injury really broke his dream as he described the pain to be “worst ever in his life.” But now, the American talent is gearing up for a return with another crucial campaign.

Ahead of his comeback, Shelton revealed an update on his injury saying, “It is getting there,” while emphasizing, “As any injury, it takes time to recover. I wouldn’t show up to a tournament unless I thought I was ready and that is why I skipped a few, but I should be ready to go now.” reported ATP Tour’s website on September 30.

Shelton withdrew from the US Open more than a month ago due to his left shoulder injury. As a result, he had to miss out on the Japan Open too. However, the American is set to step back on the court during the Shanghai Masters. He will look to leave a solid impact at the ATP 1000 tournament this month. It will also feature the likes of 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and other notable competitors.

This season, Shelton has been in top form. Back in January, he became the youngest American in three decades to enter the semis at the Australian Open. He even reached the BMW Open’s summit clash but failed to beat Alexander Zverev. Then in Wimbledon, he continued his stellar form with a quarterfinal appearance before losing to eventual winner Jannik Sinner.

The solid form stretched further at the Citi Open where he made it to the semis. And Toronto proved to be the biggest event of his life as he bested Karen Khachanov in the final of the Canadian Open. He became the youngest American to clinch an ATP 1000 title since Andy Roddick in 2004. But going forward, Shelton will have to regain the momentum. Especially after recovering from the painful injury. Not to mention he has got a big threat looming over his head in Shanghai.

Ben Shelton to face a tough Novak Djokovic challenge at the Shanghai Masters

For the uninitiated, Novak Djokovic is a four-time champion of Shanghai. The 24-time slam king has previously won the Masters title in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. In fact, he was also the finalist in last season’s edition. Jannik Sinner denied him a fifth trophy.

But the 38-year-old is still strong and he has proved this point this season. In all of the four slams of 2025, the Serbian managed to reach the semis. Clearly, he is still capable of making deep runs in other ATP tournaments as well. With Shanghai being the 1000-level tournament, he won’t leave the chance to shine again after his recent exit in New York.

Now coming onto his Shanghai Masters journey, Djokovic may eventually clash with Shelton. The latter has played at the event twice before. Back in 2023, he did impress with a quarterfinal appearance. However, he couldn’t move beyond the R16 last season after losing to eventual champion Sinner.

This time, Shelton will have to put extra efforts should he reach the quarterfinals in Shanghai. That is when he and the Serbian will come face-to-face. Djokovic is also ahead in H2H tally with a 1-0 lead. The American would like to change this pattern as well and settle the scores against the former World No.1. In case he ends up finding his form in time, fans may witness a blockbuster fight eventually.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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