Ben Shelton made his highly anticipated ATP Finals debut in Turin, but results proved disappointing as the American lost both round-robin matches to end his first campaign. After defeats from Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Shelton fell short in his bid to advance beyond the group stage.
Yet, this loss does not diminish what has been a truly remarkable year for the 22-year-old. His meteoric rise to a career-high world ranking of No. 5, combined with his breakthrough ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, has cemented 2025 as his most successful season to date.
Ben Shelton Reflects on an Impressive Season Following ATP Finals Loss Against Felix Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime demonstrated impressive composure to overcome Shelton in a tightly contested match lasting two hours and 26 minutes, prevailing 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 in the Björn Borg Group. The Canadian struggled in the opening set before gradually finding his rhythm, with the second set proving critical, lasting just over an hour. Shelton’s costly double fault in the second-set tie-break allowed Auger-Aliassime to level the match and gain crucial momentum heading into the final set.
Following his opening loss to Zverev, which ended 6-3, 7-6(6), Shelton struggled to find consistency. During his post-match press conference, the American provided candid insight into his struggles, explaining that he had lost the rhythm and clarity he had possessed during the first three quarters of 2025. Shelton said,
“I would rate my year maybe an 8 out of 10, 7 or 8. I made huge improvements and strides from the year before.” He revealed his summer winning formula, saying, “I get into a really good rhythm when I’m playing a lot of matches. I had a lot of clarity this summer on how to play: shot tolerance, what shots to play at certain times. Had a lot of clarity on what my identity was on the court, how I was going to win, my winning formula.”
The American acknowledged that the last four tournaments, including Shanghai, Basel, Paris, and the ATP Finals, were difficult for him to find that rhythm against his opponents. He talked about his forehand, which is one of Shelton’s most dominant weapons, as a significant concern this week. “For me this week, it’s been my forehand, which usually is a money shot for me, money-maker. First ball after the serve, things that have been a little off that make it disappointing.”
However, the 23-year-old ended on a positive note, saying, “A lot of things to be happy about this season.”
Felix Auger-Aliassime comes back to beat Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 and get his first win at the 2025 ATP Finals.
Keeps his hopes alive before the match vs. Zverev on Friday.
Shelton now needs a miracle in two days. pic.twitter.com/QeeJtzuOEG
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) November 12, 2025
With two losses in the round-robin phase, Shelton is now almost eliminated from the tournament. His maiden ATP Finals experience, despite disappointing results, provided valuable exposure against the world’s elite players.​
A Look at Shelton’s Impressive 2025 Season
Despite the disappointing end, Shelton’s 2025 campaign represents a historic breakthrough for the American. Across the entire season, he compiled an impressive 40-21 record, demonstrating remarkable consistency throughout his matches. Most significantly, the 23-year-old achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 5, making him only the third left-handed American to reach the Top 5, alongside Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe.​
His most significant achievement came in August in Toronto, where Shelton captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title by defeating Karen Khachanov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) at the Canadian Open. He became the youngest American to win a Masters 1000 title since Andy Roddick in 2004. This Toronto triumph marked his third ATP title overall, following wins in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston in 2024.​
Shelton also reached the Australian Open semifinals in January, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2. He reached the BMW Open final, losing to Zverev, and advanced to the semifinals at Stuttgart and Washington
