Ben Shelton has made a surprising announcement, pulling out of the Mexican Open in Acapulco just days after winning the Dallas Open. While many expected the hard-hitting lefty to carry the momentum from Dallas to Mexico, the American has decided otherwise, opening the door for Adam Walton, who enters the main draw.
Shelton won his first ATP title of the season in Dallas, beating fellow American Taylor Fritz in a grueling final last week. With the win, he improved his overall record to 10-2 for the season and has already earned over $1 million in prize money. His latest withdrawal from the Mexican Open means he will play in Indian Wells next.
The World No. 9 had a disappointing run during the Australian swing, losing his quarterfinal matches at both the ASB Classic and the Australian Open. On the brink of going out of the top-10 rankings, Ben Shelton needed a big win, and he did just that by winning his maiden ATP 500 title of the year.
With a strenuous schedule on the ATP circuit, it is not just Shelton; many other players, both men’s and women’s singles, have been withdrawing from events, citing fatigue and the need for extra time to rest between events. Before Shelton, Lorenzo Mussetti had also withdrawn from the Mexican Open as he continues to recover from his injury.
Ben Shelton Responds To Reaching A Milestone That No American Has Achieved Since Andy Roddick
By winning the title in Dallas, which was Ben Shelton’s fourth ATP title at the age of 23, he became the first American since the former World No. 1 Andy Roddick to win more than two titles above the ATP 250 level. In a press conference after the tournament, Shelton reflected on the same.
“For me, it’s a steady work in progress. I want to continue to improve my game and become more well-rounded. There’s areas of improvements even this week that I can point out, places that I got myself into a hole that I can do a much better job of, certain shots that can become much better,” Shelton said.
“I can become a more complete player, and that’s kind of the focus that I have, that I have had, and that I need to continue to have to get to the top of the game. All my energy is going into that, and that’s what I’m focused on,” he added.
This was Shelton’s first ATP title since the Masters 1000 win in Toronto, Canada, in August last year.
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