Ben Shelton injury update: What happened to American star vs Adrian Mannarino at US Open?

Ben Shelton was forced to retire from his third-round match against Adrian Mannarino at the US Open on Friday due to a left shoulder injury. The match, held at Louis Armstrong Stadium, ended with Shelton leading 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 after over two hours and 45 minutes when he withdrew, handing Mannarino the victory. Ben Shelton of the U.S. reacts as he touches his injured shoulder during his third round match against France's Adrian Mannarino(REUTERS)

As the match went on in the fourth set, Shelton grabbed his shoulder and was visibly in pain. He continued to play and could be heard saying that he had done ‘something’ to his shoulder.

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Despite saving set points with net-rushing and volleys, he clutched his left side again as Mannarino leveled the set. Tearfully, Shelton sat during a changeover, receiving a signal from his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, to retire. The American star ultimately walked off with a towel over his head, waving to a supportive crowd, his US Open run cut short.

At one point, the 22-year-old was seen putting his head in his hands. The physio asked him where exactly it hurt.

“If you can pinpoint a specific location, if he’s talking about a specific hotspot, that’s usually not a good sign,” retired star Ryan Harrison said on Sky Sports.

Harrison further explained that it was up to the umpire’s discretion to grant Shelton a timeout while his opponent was serving.

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“This is up to the chair umpire’s discretion as far as when you can take a medical timeout. Sometimes they’ll make you wait until the end of the game, before your own service game," the former tennis star added.

“It’s completely up to the chair umpire if he sees what he deems to be immediate cause for concern, and I think this would clearly qualify as immediate cause for concern.”

Shelton had been in top form, not dropping a set in earlier rounds against Ignacio Buse and Pablo Carreno Busta, and entering as a former semifinalist with a strong summer (Canadian Open title, Citi Open semifinals).

Mannarino, leading their head-to-head 2-1, capitalized on Shelton’s physical decline after a competitive match. No immediate medical diagnosis was available, but the shoulder issue raises concerns for his recovery timeline.

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