The best moments in tennis sometimes come when you least expect them. This summer, Ben Shelton seized his chance at the Canadian Open while the sport’s biggest names watched from the sidelines. As top stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic skipped the event, Shelton powered through the draw and lifted the trophy. Was it all timing, or is the next American star ready to crash the elite ranks?
How Did Missing Top Players Open the Door for Ben Shelton at the Canadian Open?
Several big names stirred up the 2025 Canadian Open just by deciding not to play. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was sidelined by an elbow injury, Novak Djokovic dealt with a groin problem, Jack Draper missed out thanks to a left-arm issue, and Carlos Alcaraz chose to rest and recover for the rest of the North American hard-court run.
While each star had a different reason for skipping the event, the brutal ATP calendar drew plenty of criticism as a key factor. Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams to 23 Grand Slam titles, explained how the jam-packed schedule from May to August demands a lot physically and mentally and often leaves even the best players hurt.
“The calendar is so dense, with so many big events, especially that period of the year, between May and end of August, you have three Grand Slams and four Masters 1000, which is crazy in terms of density. And that explains that some players get injured at that time,” he said in a recent Instagram video.
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Mouratoglou laid it out bluntly: when stars bail on Toronto, they keep themselves fresh for the biggest matches coming later. At the same time, it gives new names a huge chance to make waves.
“If I take the example of Alcaraz, a year ago, he made the mistake, he played and he was mentally completely out. It’s bad for Toronto because they are missing a lot of top players, but it is good for them because they are going to be fresh enough to perform in the last Grand Slam of the season,” he said.
“Now, yes, for sure. The fact that all those seeded players are missing is great opportunity for other players,” Mouratoglou added.
Can Shelton’s 2025 Run Bring Him Closer to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
The North American swing has belonged to Shelton, who turned heads and showed he’s dangerous on hard courts. He started strong with a semifinal at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, rolled to his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto by defeating Karen Khachanov, and then reached the quarterfinals in Cincinnati.
His breakthrough in Toronto was huge — not just his first Masters 1000 title, but the run that put Shelton at No. 5 in the ATP rankings. Mouratoglou was clear: this kind of success can give a young player the confidence to challenge established names like Alcaraz and Sinner.
“Ben Shelton won his first Masters 1000 which is great. We want to see him as close as possible to Alcaraz and Sinner, I mean to bring some extra battle. So for him to win a masters 1000 for his confidence, for his level, that’s amazing. And this opportunity is great for them,” he said.
Now the attention shifts to the 2025 US Open. Last year, Sinner took the crown by defeating Taylor Fritz, Shelton saw his campaign end in the third round, and Alcaraz exited in the second. All three will be looking to make more noise before the season is done.
