World no. 6 Ben Shelton has been forced to put his racket aside once again. The American rising star has withdrawn from the ATP 500 event in Tokyo, adding it to the negative list alongside the Laver Cup.
Ben experienced a massive setback at the home Major in New York a few weeks ago. A left-hander felt shoulder issues against Adrian Mannarino, retiring for the first time in a career and leaving the court in tears.
As was expected, world no. 6 had to skip the Laver Cup. As it turned out, he could not recover for the start of the Asian swing and the event where he lifted his first ATP title in 2023.
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Shelton has won 37 matches in 2025, passing 15 rivals on the ATP ranking list and becoming the second-best American player behind Taylor Fritz. He reached the Australian Open semi-final, falling to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
Ben could not keep that form in the upcoming events, although he played in the Indian Wells quarter-final. A left-hander with a booming serve reached the final at the clay-court ATP 500 event in Munich and lost to Alexander Zverev.
Shelton challenged Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros before falling to Alexander Zverev in Stuttgart in two tie breaks. Ben reached the Wimbledon quarter-final and gained a boost.
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He backed it with the semi-final in Washington and his first Masters 1000 crown in Toronto. Zverev halted him in the Cincinnati quarter-final, and Shelton looked for a strong run at the home Major.
However, he experienced a setback in the third round against Adrian Mannarino, losing the fourth set and retiring due to a massive pain in his shoulder, something he had never experienced before.
After missing two events, Ben keeps his eyes on recovery, hoping to enter the Shanghai Masters injury-free and finish his breakthrough season on a high note. Ben is currently ranked 5th in the ATP Race to Turin, hoping to debut at the ATP Finals in November.
