Ben Shelton’s decision not to enter the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters may have unintended consequences that benefit Jannik Sinner, according to John Isner. Instead of entering the non-mandatory Masters 1000 event, the American opted to spend his week at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Although he suffered a shock loss to Thiago AgustÃn Tirante in the quarterfinals of the singles contest, Shelton clinched his maiden doubles title at the ATP 250 event alongside Andrés Andrade.
Shelton was not alone in skipping the Monte-Carlo Masters, as Tommy Paul and Learner Tien also opted not to enter the event, while Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Arthur Fils, and Sebastian Korda were among those who withdrew.
Why John Isner Questioned Ben Shelton Skipping the Monte-Carlo Masters
During the latest episode of the “Nothing Major” podcast, John Isner expressed his desire to see Ben Shelton at least enter his name for the Monte-Carlo Masters, giving himself a chance to head to Monaco and build momentum if he exited early in Houston.
“This tournament’s still great. I again, I said this last week, I would love to see someone like Ben Shelton at least like enter the tournament. I know Ben took the doubles title in Houston, but it’s not that hard if you don’t do very well in Houston to get over there, try to string together a good week and then get back home. I really would like some of the Americans to consider that going forward,” Isner said.
Given that Jannik Sinner is riding a wave of momentum after winning the Sunshine Double in dominant fashion, Isner didn’t mince words when assessing the field’s chances against the world No. 2. He suggested that Shelton might have been one of the few players capable of posing a genuine challenge to Sinner before the final, where the Italian is expected to meet Carlos Alcaraz.
“I don’t see him getting tested. If the bet is like all right up until the final Sinner loses a set, I think I’m saying no,” he added. “Like a Shelton could right, if he serves big. But like I don’t know who’s going to challenge him. He doesn’t take doesn’t take games off.”
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Sam Querrey also cited Shelton as a contender while pointing out that other major threats to Sinner, like Novak Djokovic and Arthur Fils, are also missing from the draw. However, despite Isner and Querrey’s faith in Shelton’s abilities, it remains uncertain whether he could truly trouble Sinner given the one-sided nature of their recent head-to-head record.
Since Ben Shelton won their inaugural meeting at the 2023 Shanghai Masters, Jannik Sinner has dominated their rivalry by winning nine straight matches and 22 consecutive sets against the American. Their most recent meeting in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January ended in a clinical 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 sweep for Sinner.
In contrast to Isner’s analysis, Sinner has acknowledged the “very difficult” path awaiting him at the Monte-Carlo Masters, with the likes of Ugo Humbert, Francisco Cerúndolo, and Félix Auger-Aliassime placed in his section of the draw.
