Ben Shelton’s rise reached another level after his Canadian Open win, but the 22-year-old American barely got any chance to celebrate his success.
After winning his first Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto, Shelton had to rush to Cincinnati for his next challenge, something his father, who is also his coach, seemed even more concerned about.
How Ben Shelton’s Father and Coach Bryan Keeps Him Grounded
Ben showed his mental toughness when he recovered from a set loss and defeated Karen Khachanov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) in the Canadian Open final. He became the youngest American to win a Masters 1000 since Andy Roddick in 2004 and also jumped to his career-best No. 6 in the rankings.
However, even after all these records, the party was short-lived. During an interview with Tennis Channel, Shelton gave an insight into how his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, took his victory.
“It was really cool. My dad’s all business, you know…He was happy for the rest of that night. He was excited. He knows how well I was playing and how well I was implementing some of the things that we’ve been working on. To see a lot of it kind of come together in the big moments was really, really cool, and he was super excited,” Ben said.
He then added, “But you know, since that next day started, his mind’s been on Cincinnati. He’s just making sure that I was ready to go at the start here and not getting complacent. But he should know me better than that.”
Bryan, who used to be a pro himself, understands well that success in tennis is achieved day by day, tournament by tournament.
Going from Toronto to Cincinnati just proves how nonstop the tennis calendar can be. Players had very little time to adjust to new conditions and recover from the fatigue of their previous tournaments. Remarks from other players and Khachanov’s own struggles show how tough these quick turnarounds can be, both physically and mentally.
Ben himself talked about this hasty travel. However, he won his first match at Cincinnati after Camilo Ugo Carabelli retired, giving him a much-needed short break.
How Father’s Guidance Shapes Ben Shelton’s Game
During the Canadian Open post-match press conference, Ben said of Bryan, “He respects me in the same way. I know that he has a great tennis mind, he respects my tennis mind and my independence, knowing that he can let me go in the big moments and just let me play my game.
“But he does a great job of injecting little bits and pieces throughout the match that help me. So I think the respect is one thing that helps a lot. Then it is just the kind of coaching, coach/player model that we have works really well,” he added.
The moment Ben Shelton captured his first Masters 1000 title 🌟
A well deserved hug for pops. 🤗#NBO25 pic.twitter.com/keC2hgDA3q
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 8, 2025
One big change in their training approach has been a higher focus on scouting and strategy building. Ben said that he now regularly studies full match videos of his opponents before facing them.
“I think that watching films [has been] a huge piece for me and something that I didn’t do as much in the past.”
The American is now gearing up for his third-round match against Roberto Bautista Agut in Cincinnati.
