Ben Shelton is in his home state of Florida for the 2026 Miami Open. He suffered an unfortunate third-round exit at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden due to a bad cold and illness. Now that he is completely healed and ready for action at Hard Rock Stadium, fans want to meet the star and get a closer look.
During one such fan interaction, Shelton did something that caught the tennis world’s attention right before his second-round match against Alexander Shevchenko.
Why Ben Shelton Refused to Sign a Fan’s Labubu at the Miami Open
The tennis world is well aware of what a Labubu is, thanks to Naomi Osaka and her 2025 US Open campaign. She had a special one for each matchup until her semifinal exit against American Amanda Anisimova, making headlines for both her unique outfits and her special ones, namely Billie Jean Bling, Arthur Flashe, Andre Swagassi, Althea Glitterson, and more.
Now, after one of Shelton’s practice sessions at Hard Rock Stadium, fans gathered to meet the local star and get an autograph to remember the moment. Instead of giving a tennis hat or something similar, one fan brought their Labubu with them to get it signed. However, the world No. 9’s reaction shocked everyone around and later on social media.
Shelton immediately declined to sign the doll, and the fan posted this incident on the social media platform TikTok, writing, “PSA🚨🚨🚨 Ben Shelton will not sign your Labubu.” This clip caught the attention of the Gainesville, Florida, native, who left a comment explaining his actions.
He wrote, “They freak me out. I’ll sign pretty much anything elseðŸ˜,” stating that he is not comfortable with the Labubu dolls. This led to a fun banter between the fan and the American star, with the fan jokingly threatening him, writing, “i’m never letting this go.”
This social media engagement and this playful moment between the two right before an important match show just how much fan support means to the tennis stars. Despite his busy schedule and jam-packed calendar, Shelton took time to greet his fans and even went online to interact with them.
Ben Shelton Set to Take on Alexander Shevchenko in the Miami Open Second Round
The American enters his home tournament as the eighth seed, receiving a first-round bye. He was set to face the winner of the first-round match between Italian Matteo Arnaldi and Shevchenko, which the Kazakhstani won 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-2 in a two-hour-and-32-minute battle.
According to PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator, the American has over an 85% chance of advancing to the next round, keeping his title hopes alive.
Shelton had two quarterfinal finishes at the start of the season, one at the ASB Classic in Auckland and the other at the Australian Open in Melbourne. He then capped his performance by defeating fellow American and good friend Taylor Fritz at the Dallas Open, becoming the first American since Andy Roddick to win more than two titles above the ATP 250 level.
MORE: Amanda Anisimova ‘Ready For a Nap’ After Stress Levels Soar in Tough Miami Win
He then suffered an unfortunate 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-6 exit at the first leg of the Sunshine Doubles against rising American star Learner Tien in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
He was suffering from an illness and had serious issues with coughing and fatigue during his matches, even receiving an oral spray treatment during his match against Reilly Opelka, which he still won 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-3.
Just days before the Miami Open main draw, the American shared an Instagram post for his fans, reassuring them that he is fully healed and ready to dominate his home tournament. It will be interesting to see whether Shelton, who has significantly improved his hard-court game, can end the swing with another title before the ATP Tour shifts to the clay season.
