Follow us on Google Discover Ben Shelton will make just his second appearance at a tour-level event since the US Open when he takes to the courts at the Paris Masters.
Shelton was sidelined with a shoulder injury that he sustained in his third-round clash with Adrian Mannarino at Flushing Meadows.
The American made his return to ATP action at the Shanghai Masters, but saw his campaign come to an abrupt end following a straight-sets loss to David Goffin in round one.
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He then entered the Swiss Indoors in Basel, where he claimed his first singles victory in nearly two months against Kamil Majchrzak before falling to eventual semifinalist Jaume Munar in the second round.
Now, Shelton will feature at the final Masters 1000 tournament of the season in Paris, where a ‘crazy’ change has been made.
Ben Shelton speaks ahead of his campaign at the Paris Masters
This year, the Paris Masters relocated to Paris La Defense Arena, Europe’s largest indoor arena, moving from the Accor Arena, which hosted previous editions of the event.
The new venue boasts a Centre Court with a crowd capacity of 16,500, making it the second-largest tennis stadium in the world, trailing only the US Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, which holds 23,771.
“It’s crazy,” said Shelton, reacting to the venue in an interview with Tennis TV.
“This is probably the coolest indoor tennis arena that we play in on the ATP tour, and to see the difference from what we played at in the years before is pretty cool.”
Reflecting on his season so far, Shelton said: “For me, it hasn’t been all straightforward. It hasn’t been just winning all the time.
“There’s been times where I’ve played really well, there’s been times where I haven’t played so well and had to get myself out of a slump.
“I think that’s just tennis. It’s a roller coaster. For me to be able to find my great tennis more consistently later in the year has always been a great thing for me.
“So playing well in North America in the summer, you know, the place that I like to play the most that I enjoy being the most was a really cool part of my year.”
During the North American hard-court swing, Shelton enjoyed an impressive run of form and clinched his first title of the season by winning a maiden Masters 1000 crown in Toronto.
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Having started the season ranked 21st, Shelton is now the world number six, which the 23-year-old says is a testament to his desire to improve.
He explained: “Tennis is interesting because if you don’t keep improving, you get passed. There are so many good young players and talent coming in and making a name for themselves.
“So for me, I’ve just tried to get better and make my level better year after year, and that’s what I’m focused on.
“I think if you’re just trying to stay where you’re at or maintain, you fall behind, and that’s always been my philosophy and my team’s philosophy.”
Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesBen Shelton’s first opponent at the Paris Masters
After receiving a bye in the first round of the Paris Masters, Shelton will face world number 23 Flavio Cobolli, whom he has played twice before on the tour.
Cobolli won their first two meetings in 2024, emerging victorious in Geneva and Washington, but Shelton overcame him in both of their clashes this year.
In Acapulco, the US star claimed two tiebreaks to beat the Italian in straight sets, before triumphing over him again at the Canadian Open en route to the title.
Cobolli booked his place in the second round of the Paris Masters after winning his opening match against Tomas Machac, 6-1, 6-4.