STUTTGART, Germany – Ben Shelton collected his third singles title of the year, sixth in his career after defeating fellow American, Taylor Fritz at the ATP 250 Boss Open. This tournament marked the start of grass season for Shelton as he prepares for the third Grand Slam of the year at Wimbledon in July. His win also marked his first career title on a grass court, giving him a win on every surface so far this season.
Shelton entered the tournament ranked at No. 5 by the ATP and was the number one seed in the tournament. The four opponents he faced offered Shelton a series of tough battles, having to play three sets in all four matches. Shelton endured weather delays, match points and long tie-breaks, including a 30-point tie break to reach the finals of the tournament.
Shelton faced Fritz in the finals, who was the reigning champion. After winning a fourth three-set match, Shelton became the third American to win the ATP 250 Boss Open in the last five years. This is Shelton’s second time claiming a victory over Fritz in the final, previously defeating him at the Dallas Open.
“It means a lot to me,” said Shelton in his post-match interview. “Certainly, a difficult week, not an easy week to get through. I’m pretty exhausted, but to play the way I did against the quality of opponents I played in very tight matches and getting a win today against one of the best grass-court players in the world is a huge boost for my confidence. I’m just happy to get my first title here in Stuttgart.”
With this victory, Shelton became the first American since Sam Querrey to claim a title on all three court types (hard, clay and grass) in 2010. Shelton’s third title also makes him the only player, besides No. 1 Jannik Sinner to hold three or more titles in 2026.
Shelton’s ATP 250 Boss Open Results
Round
Opponent
Scores
Round of 32
BYE
BYE
Round of 16
No. 88 Marcos Giron
W: 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Quarterfinals
No. 104 Sho Shimabukuro
W: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals
No. 12 Jiri Lehecka
W: 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (16-14),
7-6 (8-6)
Finals
No. 9 Taylor Fritz
W: 6-4, 2-6, 6-4