Ben Shelton will headline the ATP 500 Dallas Open, beginning on February 9, at the Ford Center at the Star in Dallas, Texas. The 23-year-old is aiming to bounce back from his disappointing Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Jannik Sinner and is gearing up to play in the singles as well as the doubles categories at the Dallas Open.
In his latest Instagram story, Shelton put out a rare request, asking for a partner to play doubles with in the upcoming tournament. In a video, the American could be seen speaking after a practice session, while sitting inside a tennis training facility.
“I need a partner to play doubles with at the Dallas Open next week. Hit my line,” Shelton said in the video.
The World No. 9 had a disappointing start to his 2026 season, losing in the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. However, he bounced back with much more intensity at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
Shelton won four matches before running into Sinner in the quarterfinals. The Italian bettered his overall head-to-head record against the American to 9-1 with his fourth straight win on the hard surface against the former US Open semifinalist.
Ben Shelton Remains Steadfast on Registering his Maiden Win Against the Top-3
Since turning pro in 2022, Shelton has consistently improved his game. He broke into the top 10 of the ATP rankings in June 2025, won a Masters 1000 title at the 2025 Canadian Open, and reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the US Open in 2025 and 2023, respectively. The left-handed player has set one goal for himself, which is to register a win against any of the top 3 in men’s singles.
He has faced a top-three player 17 times, but has failed to win. Out of these 17 losses, 11 have come against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He has played 13 tiebreaks against the top 3, losing all of them.
Winning against a top-3 player remains his top priority, as Shelton prepares for the Dallas Open. After Dallas, he will play the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, Mexico, and then the first 1000 Masters event of the year at Indian Wells, starting on March 4.
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