Ben Shelton sent a message on social media after his match at Wimbledon was suspended. Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Ben Shelton Reacts to Wimbledon Match Suspension on Instagram

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 7:37 PM ET

On Thursday evening, Ben Shelton was rolling over Rinky Hijikata during their second round match at Wimbledon. However, Shelton did not win the match as quickly as he should have.

The American tennis star was just one game away from winning the match when play was suspended at 9:29 p.m. local time in London due to darkness, as the sun had set about ten minutes earlier.

When the match was postponed, Shelton had a strong lead over Hijikata: 6-2, 7-5, 5-4. Shelton was ready to serve for victory and was furious with the call.

Ben Shelton reacts to his match against Rinky Hijikata being suspended at 9:29 PM local time.

The match will be resumed tomorrow after play is suspended due to darkness. pic.twitter.com/6X3mFleai0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 3, 2025

The tenth-seed stayed on the court to plead his case as Hijikata exited the No. 2 court (which had no stadium lighting). Both players had asked about suspending the match multiple times earlier, but the officials instructed them to continue play.

Shelton eventually conceded his case, grabbed his bag, and waved to the fans as he walked off the court under a beautiful blue sky.

Since the match is not yet over, Shelton's post-match press conference must wait until tomorrow. He broke his silence with a succinct Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ben Shelton (@benshelton)

"They ain't wanna see anything else from me tonight but I'll see y'all tomorrow," wrote Shelton in the caption.

The post included three pictures: Shelton waving to the fans, Shelton falling in the stands near his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, and one of him pleading his case to the chair umpire.

Although it is just one set, Shelton will have to completely readjust his schedule tomorrow as he will presumably play the winner of Gael Monfils and Marton Fucsovics on Saturday, July 5.

Last year, Shelton made it to the fourth round, marking his best-ever campaign at Wimbledon. He is currently the ATP World No. 10 with a record of 20-14.

Wimbledon continues play through July 13.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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