Local star Ben Shelton suffered an unfortunate second-round exit at the 2026 Miami Open, cutting short his home campaign. The American No. 2, who exited the Indian Wells Open early as well, had reassured fans that he was going to deliver at Hard Rock Stadium but was unable to do so.
After the match, Shelton’s opponent shared his experience facing the Gainesville, Florida, native on the second-largest court at the tennis facility, the Grandstand.
Alexander Shevchenko Reveals His Mentality in Defeating Ben Shelton in Miami
Shelton entered the match as the clear favorite, with PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator predicting an over 85% chance of him reaching the next round. But legendary American coach Rick Macci’s prediction turned out to be more accurate than anything else, as he had already announced to expect early-round upsets at the tournament.
Shevchenko secured a 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 6-3 win in just around two and a half hours against the World No. 9 to reach the third round. After securing one of the biggest wins of his career, the Kazakhstani talked about the experience and what it took to win the match.
During his post-match on-court interview, Shevchenko revealed his mentality during the match. “It takes 100% to stay in the match all the time against these kind of players,” he said. “I stayed. There was a moment where I was feeling a bit tired. As soon as I got my momentum back, I was able to bring the energy back. That was the case.”
When the interviewer mentioned the loud “come ons” from his team box, asking whether it was a strategic move against the American, he laughed, saying, “I mean, no, it’s not strategic. I’m just an emotional guy.”
He then added, “I love when my team is pumped. I loved every second of it. And when Ben is also pumped, and I have to play against the stadium, I need at least 3 guys there supporting me,” reflecting on the immense local support that the American received.
Alexander Shevchenko after beating Ben Shelton in Miami
“You never gave up and kept the energy up. What was the mentality required tonight?”
Alex: “It takes 100% to stay in the match all the time against these kind of players. I stayed. There was a moment where I was feeling a… pic.twitter.com/5OTvwkPPEZ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 22, 2026
This marked another disappointing exit for Shelton, who had been looking to gain momentum on the ATP Tour since lifting the Dallas Open title, defeating the top-ranked American and good friend Taylor Fritz.
How Shelton’s 2026 Miami Open Campaign Ended
The World No. 9 suffered from the flu in Indian Wells, showing severe symptoms such as coughing and fatigue and even receiving an oral spray treatment mid-match. This completely hindered his performance, as even though he managed to defeat Reilly Opelka in the second round, he bowed out to another American, Learner Tien.
Even the 20-year-old acknowledged that Shelton “wasn’t feeling that great” during the match. However, just days before the main draw kicked off at the second leg of the Sunshine Doubles, the Gainesville, Florida, native shared an Instagram post, writing, “Flu took me out the last couple weeks… Miami 🔜 Can’t wait to battle at home 🌴”
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However, his home campaign ended in his first match despite delivering one of the best serving performances of his career. He landed 17 bullet-like aces compared to Shevchenko’s 11, while both players committed two double faults.
Shelton landed nearly 70% of his first serves, winning 81% of those points, and nearly 60% on his second serve. The Kazakhstani was very close in serving, landing 65% of his first serves while winning 79% of those points and, interestingly, 64% of points on his second serve.
The American also hit way more winners than his opponent (46 to 33), but the difference was in the number of unforced errors. Shevchenko had 24, while Shelton made 44 unforced errors, leading to his loss.
In the first set, both players held serve to force a tiebreak, which the American took 7-6(3) with ease, thanks to his impressive serving. Similar to the first set, both players forced a tiebreak again, with Shelton struggling and Shevchenko gaining momentum to take it 7-6(3).
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In the decider, the Kazakhstani continued his rhythm, breaking Shelton early to take a formidable 4-1 lead. The American saved one match point but couldn’t stop his opponent from serving out the match. He will face the 31st seed, Ugo Humbert, in the third round.
PFSN’s Tennis Simulator favors the Frenchman, predicting a 77% chance of him prevailing and reaching the next round. Still, it will be interesting to see if the Kazakhstani star can deliver another massive upset in the tournament.
