Ben Shelton has successfully defended his Canadian Open title in Montreal. The World No. 6 secured his back-to-back victory by defeating fellow American Brandon Nakashima in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(4). After his historic win on the court, many of his loved ones, including his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, and his sister, Emma Shelton, took to social media to congratulate him.
Trinity Rodman, Emma Shelton, and Others Celebrate as Ben Shelton Completes Back-to-Back Canadian Open Triumph
Shelton went through the tournament without dropping a set, firing a 142 mph serve, and not facing a single break point in his 1-hour, 27-minute final match.
The fifth seed took the lead, winning the first set, but Nakashima fought back strongly in the second set, pushing the defending champion into a tense tiebreak. However, Shelton held his nerve and sealed his victory with a decisive forehand.
The 23-year-old has now become only the fourth player this century, joining the ranks of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, to successfully defend the Canadian Open title.
Following his remarkable victory, Shelton took to Instagram, posting a photo of himself kissing the National Bank Open trophy, standing on the podium amidst a shower of blue and white confetti alongside tournament officials and Nakashima. His caption was brief: “Ain’t say a word and ran it back 🥷”.
USWNT soccer star Rodman was quick to shower Shelton with love and support. In the comments, she hyped him up simply with, “Him 💖🙌”. Rodman had shared a video on her Instagram story as well, capturing the exact moment Shelton won the match on her television screen, captioning it, “Back to back Mfn Canada champ🤍”.
She also dedicated a post to her boyfriend, sharing a candid photo of the couple smiling as they walk together on a tennis court. Her caption read, “Drive, dedication and commitment. Back to back Canada champ! Celebrate every win baby💖 I love you”.
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Shelton’s sister Emma also joined in the celebration. She reposted a heartwarming team photograph from the trophy ceremony to her Instagram story. Emma captioned her story, “back to back benny 🎾🏆‼️💫🍗”, setting the triumphant mood by adding the track “Lord Knows (feat. Tory Lanez)” by Meek Mill playing in the background.
Meanwhile, Learner Tien, whom Shelton defeated in the semis, humorously praised Shelton’s performance, writing, “didn’t know prime fedal was playing in canada this year”.
The Canadian Open title was his seventh overall and 4th this season after winning in Dallas, Munich, and Stuttgart. Now, he will be moving on to Cincinnati, where he is the 8th seed.
