Recovering from a debilitating shoulder injury was a massive challenge for Ben Shelton, but his unwavering faith in God and relentless determination fueled his return. Reflecting on the arduous journey, the American acknowledged his struggles yet expressed gratitude to be back competing. Notably, Shelton said so after his convincing second-round triumph over Flavio Cobolli at the Paris Masters.
Ben Shelton Gets Honest About His Recovery After 1R Win at the Paris Masters
One of the most concerning moments in Ben Shelton’s career came during his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino at the 2025 US Open. The American awkwardly landed on his left arm while lunging for a shot late in the third set, consequently injuring his shoulder. The pain escalated in the fourth set, leaving him with no choice but to retire from the match.
To aid his recovery, Shelton skipped the majority of the Asian swing and even had to miss representing the United States at the Davis Cup. He finally returned at the 2025 Shanghai Masters over a month later, but his comeback was short-lived as he exited in the second round. A similar story unfolded at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, where he again fell in the second round, this time to Jaume Munar.
Despite two rough results, the World No. 7 seemed unfazed in his second-round encounter against Cobolli as he won 7-6(4), 6-3. Following the match, Shelton sat for an interview with the Tennis Channel and acknowledged the frustration of being sidelined, but emphasized staying grateful and keeping God first.
He reflected on how privileged he feels for his career experiences.
“It’s tough, always gotta be grateful, keep god first because I’ve been a very blessed individual to do all the things that I have done, experience everything I have experienced. I’m really very privileged. To kind of take that time, reflect on that, know that, I wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be at that point in the year, I still wanted to be in NewYork,” he said in an interview with Tennis Channel.
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Despite the setback, Shelton feels fresh, healthy, and motivated in Paris, seeing this stage as exciting with plenty to pursue before the season ends.
“I was sitting at home watching it on the TV and that’s the best I’ve ever felt on the tennis court. So I think there is always positives, even when something negative happens and for me now I am here in Paris I am feeling fresh, it’s the end of the year,” he said.
“This is usually a tournament that I feel completely fried at and ready for the off season, but I feel happy, healthy and ready to keep pushing. So for me it’s the exciting part of the year, a lot to look forward to and strive for and everything worked itself out,” he added.
Shelton looked sharp in his second-round win over Flavio Cobolli, dictating play in nearly every aspect. The American fired 37 winners to the Italian’s 29 and won 86% of his first-serve points compared to Cobolli’s 81%. He also capitalized efficiently on return, converting 33% of his break chances to seal the victory in just 1 hour and 32 minutes.
