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Ben Shelton stumbles to strange result in China on his return after the US Open

Originally posted on HITC | By Callum Davies | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 7:19 AM ET

Ben Shelton struggled in his tennis comeback after a break that included pulling out of the US Open.

Shelton missed the Japan Open, and his first match back was at the Shanghai Masters. Still working to regain his form, the American exited early, losing in straight sets to Luca Nardi. In 2025, Ben Shelton started strong but has been dealing with injury issues ever since.

The Shanghai Masters could’ve helped him get back on track but ended up making things worse when he went down to Nardi in straight sets. The year’s not over yet – there’s still time for him to turn it around.

Ben Shelton bows out early to David Goffin

Ben Shelton’s return to action didn’t go as planned, as he fell to David Goffin in the second round of the Shanghai Masters.

Goffin, who has had success at this event before, reached the quarter-finals last year with wins over Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Zverev.

The Belgian, a former top 10 player, looked sharp again, and it was clear from early on that Shelton was going to struggle.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Goffin cruised to a straight-sets win and now has two top-10 victories against Shelton this season. The other came back in February at the Mexican Open.

Shelton’s schedule remains up in the air. He hasn’t looked fully fit since his injury layoff, so another break may be what he needs heading into the close of 2025.

Jannik Sinner in attendance as Shelton falls to Goffin at Shanghai Masters

Ben Shelton’s defeat against David Goffin at the Shanghai Masters drew attention not just for the result, but also for who was watching from the stands.

Jannik Sinner’s reaction to a fantastic shot from David Goffin against Ben Shelton in Shanghai.

Defending champion appreciating good tennis.

pic.twitter.com/NMx18ILeeg
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 3, 2025

The match opened the main court schedule, with players like Francisco Comesana, Flavio Cobolli, and Arthur Rinderknech taking in the action.

Among them was World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who had recently claimed the China Open title. Sinner was seen reacting to one of Goffin’s standout moments during what turned into a routine victory for the Belgian.

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

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