Ben Shelton was in disbelief when he learned he was about to break into the world’s top 10 for the first time, marking a major milestone in his young career.
The rising American star shared his reaction after booking a semifinal spot at the 2025 BOSS Open in Stuttgart. This guaranteed him a top 10 debut in the upcoming ATP rankings, which will be released next week.
Ben Shelton Is the Current ATP World No. 12
This leap into the elite bracket of men’s tennis comes during Shelton’s performance on the grass courts of Stuttgart. Seeded third and making just his second appearance at the event, the 22-year-old eased past Pierre-Hugues Herbert before taking down eighth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to advance to his first-ever semifinal on grass.
With former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev falling to Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinal at the Libema Open in the Netherlands this week, Shelton’s Stuttgart surge was enough to leapfrog the Russian in the ATP rankings. The 12th-ranked American tennis star is set to take over the No. 10 spot from Alex de Minaur, who is sitting out this week.
He now becomes the first American man born in the 2000s, and the seventh overall from that generation, to break into the top 10. When informed about his upcoming milestone in his post-match on-court interview following his quarterfinal win, Shelton could hardly believe what he was hearing.
“I’d say I’m gonna go look and worry about this the end of this tournament first, but I’ll look and see it with my own eyes before I believe it I mean, I’m not saying they’re not informed, but I gotta see it first so if that is true.”
“That is really cool,” Shelton said, visibly energized by the news. “A big milestone in tennis.”
Shelton acknowledged the historical echo of fellow American Frances Tiafoe’s rise two years ago in the same city. “I guess Stuttgart is the place for Americans to break into the Top 10,” he said, referencing Tiafoe’s 2023 title run that also vaulted him from World No. 12 to No. 10. Like Tiafoe, Shelton made the jump from No. 12, but with a semifinal rather than a title.
Despite the milestone, the Atlanta native isn’t ready to settle just yet. “I’m just thinking about this week,” he said. “I want to keep going and want to be playing on Sunday.”
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What’s Next for Ben Shelton at the Stuttgart Open
Shelton will face top seed Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart semifinal on June 14. This marks their third encounter on the ATP Tour, with Zverev leading the head-to-head 2-0. Their most recent clash came in the 2025 Munich Open final, where the German secured a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
The winner of this semifinal will go on to meet either fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or second seed Taylor Fritz in the championship match.
