Ben Shelton’s second-round Wimbledon match was controversially suspended just as he was about to serve for victory. The American was just one game away from advancing to the third round at Wimbledon 2025 when the match was suspended. Shelton found himself in the middle of a heated controversy that caught the attention of tennis fans worldwide and even drew criticism from six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker.
Becker criticized the referee’s decision, questioning why the play wasn’t stopped earlier when both players wanted to continue.
The frustration was clear as Shelton approached the chair umpire to voice his displeasure, with an official stepping in to calm the situation. The crowd at Court 2 booed the decision loudly as they watched what appeared to be poor timing by tournament officials.
Boris Becker’s Sharp Criticism and Ben Shelton’s Frustration
Tennis legend Becker didn’t hold back in his assessment of the controversial decision. On X, Becker wrote: “Why suspend the match, when both players want to continue…Shelton was about to serve for the match and never lost his serve in the entire match!!! Nobody understands the referee’s decision!”
Why suspend the match , when both players want to continue…Shelton was about to serve for the match and never lost his serve in the entire match!!!
Nobody understands the referee’s decision! https://t.co/aswQuUP2rI— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) July 4, 2025
Becker’s criticism highlighted a key point that made the situation even more frustrating for tennis fans. Both Shelton and Hijikata had actually requested to suspend the match earlier in the evening, around 30 minutes before officials finally made the call. The players were told to continue playing despite their concerns about the fading light and slippery court conditions.
The 10th seed had not been broken once during the entire contest and had just missed three match points on Hijikata’s serve in the previous game. Shelton was serving at a remarkable 70% success rate on his second serves and had saved all three break points he faced.
After cooling down, Shelton posted on Instagram: “They ain’t wanna see anything else from me tonight but I’ll see yall tomorrow.” The American eventually acknowledged the crowd with applause as he left the court, showing his class despite the frustrating circumstances.
Ben Shelton’s Wimbledon Journey and Recent Form
Shelton entered Wimbledon 2025 as the 10th seed, having made history just weeks earlier by becoming the first American born in the 2000s to crack the ATP top 10. His journey to this ranking milestone came after reaching the semifinals at the Stuttgart Open, where he defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Jiri Lehecka.
However, Shelton’s grass-court preparation had been challenging. He lost in the first round at Queen’s Club to Arthur Rinderknech and suffered an early exit at the Mallorca Championships against Learner Tien. His 2025 season record stands at 19-14.
Despite these recent setbacks, Shelton’s overall 2025 campaign showed promise. He reached the Australian Open semifinals earlier in the year, losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. At the French Open, he made it to the fourth round before falling to Carlos Alcaraz. His career achievements include two ATP titles: the 2023 Japan Open and the 2024 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships.
