Remember the last time an American man conquered Wimbledon? It was 25 years ago when Pete Sampras etched his name in history with a 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2 win over Patrick Rafter. Since then, it’s been a drought of heartbreaks, with Andy Roddick coming closest, falling short in three finals against Roger Federer. But now, hope is back. Taylor Fritz has stormed into the semifinals, reigniting dreams of American glory on Centre Court. And rising alongside him is the electric Ben Shelton, blazing through the draw with fearless flair. But today, he faces Italy’s own Jannik Sinner. Can Shelton carry the torch and end the wait? Let’s find out.
Following his heartbreaking French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner made his way to Halle for the Terra Wortmann Open with hopes of a bounce-back. As the heavy favorite, expectations followed him closely. But in a surprising twist, his title defense ended early, falling in the second round to eventual champion Alexander Bublik in a tight 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 defeat.
While his grass-court start was shaky, Sinner returned to Wimbledon, a place he’s begun to call home, with renewed purpose.
However, Sinner has consistently impressed at the All England Club in recent years, with a semifinal run in 2023 and back-to-back quarterfinals in 2022, 2023, and now 2024. However, he has yet to reach a final on the hallowed Wimbledon grass. His early rounds this year were dominant; he dropped just 17 games across wins over Luca Nardi, Aleksandar Vukic, and Pedro Martinez. But his fourth-round clash with Grigor Dimitrov told a more turbulent tale.
In the opening game of that match, Sinner slipped on the grass and braced his fall with his right arm, an awkward tumble that triggered immediate concern. Though he managed to finish the match, he later admitted the elbow pain was sharp, particularly affecting his serve and forehand.
“I mean, it happened very early in the match, you know, the first game, and it was a quite unfortunate fall,” Sinner said. “I checked the videos a little bit, and it didn’t seem like a tough one, but you know, I still felt it quite a lot, especially the serving forehand, so I could feel it. So, um, let’s see. Tomorrow, we are going to check to see how it is, and then we will see.”
Sport Bilder des Tages 240708 — LONDON, July 8, 2024 — Ben Shelton celebrates scoring during the men s singles 4th round match between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Ben Shelton of the United States at Wimbledon tennis Championship in London, Britain, on July 7, 2024. SPBRITAIN-LONDON-TENNIS-WIMBLEDON-DAY 7 HanxYan PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
Dimitrov, who was up two sets and applying serious pressure, had to retire because of an injury to his right pectoral, handing Sinner a lifeline. The Italian, despite the discomfort, advanced to his seventh consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. In a brief Tuesday session, co-coaches Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi watched closely as Sinner hit balls on a hard court, an unusual but intentional move. “No news on the MRI just yet,” Cahill later told ESPN. “He had it earlier today and he can’t take a day off, so he wanted to touch the ball… So Simone and myself just fed him a few balls out of the basket.”
As Cahill pointed out, hitting on a hard court isn’t completely out of character for Sinner. “It’s not a bad thing sometimes [to practise on hard court],” he added. “The more you play on grass with the uneven bounces, the more your timing goes off… Agassi used to do it all the time… We’ve done that for a couple of years, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary.” Still, the elephant in the room remains: that elbow injury. And as Sinner prepares to face Ben Shelton, all eyes are on whether he’ll be physically ready to serve with his usual venom.
On the other side of the net, Ben Shelton is surging with a mix of raw power and youthful bravado. The American lefty breezed through his first three Wimbledon matches in straight sets before running into Lorenzo Sonego in Round 4. After dropping the opening set, Shelton rallied with commanding force to take the next three: 6-1, 7-6, 7-5. This marks his maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal, and he’s not here to just make up the numbers.
Shelton came into this Wimbledon campaign with modest results on grass, holding a 2-3 win-loss record from his prior tournaments in Stuttgart, Queen’s Club, and Mallorca. But his service has been nothing short of electric in London. Called a ‘Servebot’, he averages 7.7 aces per match and serves more than 0.5 aces in 100% of his matches this season. Shelton’s delivery has become a thunderous weapon.
His net play is sharp too, boasting a 70% success rate, eerily reminiscent of a young Andy Roddick charging in behind that massive left-handed serve.
In Grand Slams, Shelton owns a 30-11 win-loss record, winning nearly 73% of his matches. Among the current top 10, only Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Sinner hold stronger numbers.
The head-to-head, though, leans heavily toward the Italian. Sinner holds a 5-1 record against Shelton, including a straight-sets win in last year’s Wimbledon R16 and a semifinal victory at this year’s Australian Open. Shelton’s lone victory came in Shanghai in 2023. Still, momentum is fickle, and surfaces matter.
Shelton’s strength lies in his explosive first serve and fearless court positioning. Against returners who struggle to read his delivery, he’s nearly untouchable. Sinner, serving at only 58% against Dimitrov, showed a rare vulnerability. If the Italian’s elbow hampers his rhythm, and Shelton attacks his second serves with intent, the tides could shift quickly. Statistically, Sinner holds serve at over 92% in 2025, an elite figure, but any dip, especially in a high-stakes, fast-paced match, could open the door for an upset.
Shelton, for his part, has covered the game spread in all four Wimbledon matches this year. He’s held serve consistently and has shown the kind of fighting spirit that makes him more than just a rising star, he’s a real contender.
So, while Sinner’s tactical brilliance and experience make him the favorite, Shelton’s sheer firepower and belief may bring the match into dangerous territory for the world No. 1. If the serve clicks and the elbow holds back the Italian, Shelton could be on the cusp of delivering one of Wimbledon’s most electric upsets.
The grass is fast, the lights are bright, and the American is ready. Buckle in, this one could be a thriller.
And Shelton won’t be alone on this ride; by his side, is his lucky charm: his sister, Emma, a former pro herself and constant pillar of support, always!
Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon plea works as his sister gets the ultimate backing
Ben Shelton has been firing on all cylinders at Wimbledon, and while his girlfriend, US soccer star Trinity Rodman, has cheered loudly from the stands, it’s his sister, Emma Shelton, who’s emerged as his unexpected “lucky charm.” After a commanding win over Marton Fucsovics in R16, the 22-year-old American lit up the post-match interview with heartfelt gratitude, giving credit where it’s due.
“I have been playing well this week. It’s not just me here; I have a great team. My parents are here, and my girlfriend is here. Also, my sister is here; she’s been here in every match I played in this tournament,” Ben said, glowing with emotion. “She’s been my lucky charm, but she has work back in the US, so on Monday, she works for Morgan Stanley. So when you have something next, so… give her a couple of extra days off so she can really give this role, and that’d be great.”
Hours later, the siblings shared a golden moment on IG. Ben filmed from what looked like his hotel room, catching Emma in the background. “You got the week off or what?” he joked, as she broke into a happy dance. With a playful smirk, Ben delivered the punchline: “Shoutout to Morgan Stanley.”
Emma doubled down on the fun, reposting the clip with her own caption: “thank you MS , return flight got cancelled .” It was sibling energy at its best: light, proud, and full of heart.
Now, with his father, girlfriend, and lucky charm sister all in his corner, Shelton’s energy is electric. But can this support system help him conquer top-seeded Jannik Sinner, especially with the Italian battling injury doubts? The answer’s coming, and it could be magic.
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