The 2026 Miami Open did not go as planned for Ben Shelton. He entered the tournament with strong expectations but suffered an early exit, dashing his hopes of lifting the trophy. However, after this upset, the Americans’ next two stops of the season have already been mapped out. Let’s have a look at the same.
Shelton’s Miami Open campaign came to an end in the second round on March 23 against Alexander Shevchenko. The audience saw a terrific head-to-head showdown in this clash, where the American started on a strong note, claiming the first set, but the next two sets were dominated by Shevchenko. The latter eventually nabbed the win, registering a 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 6-3 win. Despite this early defeat, Shelton is all set to compete in his next event of the 2026 season.
His first scheduled tournament after Miami is the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. It is an ATP 250 event, which will take place from March 30 to April 5 at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. This event began in 1910 with the idea of promoting clay courts in the West, and currently, it is the only ATP Tour event in the US played on clay.
A few other players competing in this tournament are Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Learner Tien, and more. After this game in Houston, Shelton is scheduled to compete at the BMW Open by Bitpanda, which is slated for April 11 to 19 at the MTTC Iphitos, Munich Tennis Club Iphitos. This ATP 500 event will feature several other top-notch players, including Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Joao Fonseca, and more.
Before his appearance at the Miami Open, Ben Shelton competed at Indian Wells, where he faced a loss in the third round against Learner Tien.
Ben Shelton Reflected on his Experience at The Indian Wells After Loss Against Learner Tien
After losing to Learner Tien in his second round of the Indian Wells tournament, Ben Shelton spoke to the ATP Media in Miami, where he opened up about his game at the Indian Wells. Revealing that he was battling the flu while playing at the tournament, the American said that it wasn’t easy for him.
“I am feeling good. I wasn’t in Indian Wells. It was a tough little stretch for me. It is not easy being sick. When the season is long it doesn’t slow down for you. It was unfortunate timing. Indian Wells is a great tournament, but I am excited to be healthy for Miami, and hopefully I can make something happen,” said Ben Shelton.
Opening up about his situation during the tournament, he added:
“I was waking up every morning and felt like I couldn’t stand and didn’t have any energy. I was just trying to get some free points on my serve. Each day I woke up and was hoping I would feel a bit better but I didn’t. I couldn’t move too much, so I just tried to keep the points short.”
Before the Indian Wells Masters, Ben Shelton delivered a strong performance at the Dallas Open, where he advanced to the finals and defeated Taylor Fritz to claim the trophy.
Read More News:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
