Ben Shelton thinks he's been handed an 'advantage' by US Open organizers at this year's tournament

Ben Shelton is certainly one to watch out for at the US Open, as he looks to make another deep run at Flushing Meadows.

The young American star won his first Masters 1000 title recently in Toronto, when Shelton beat Karen Khachanov in the final of the Canadian Open.

Backing that performance up with a strong run to the last eight in Cincinnati, Shelton reminded fans why he’s long been touted as a future Grand Slam champion.

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Heading to New York, Shelton will be confident of a strong performance, having only lost to major champions Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at Grand Slams in 2025.

Looking ahead to his first-round match at the US Open, Shelton thinks he’s been handed an advantage by tournament organizers.

Ben Shelton thinks playing on Sunday will be an advantage for him at the US Open

Shelton is scheduled to play the first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium at this year’s US Open, in the day session on Sunday, August 24.

Asked for his thoughts on the schedule during his pre-tournament press conference, Shelton claimed it was an ‘advantage’.

“With the Sunday start, I understand why the tournaments would want to do it. You get an extra weekend day of ticket sales. That’s huge for a tournament like this,” he said.

“You know, having two days off is, I guess, not needed. I always feel, especially after a first-round match, that one day is enough for me to recover, but I wouldn’t say it’s going to hinder me from having that second day off. If I win, what is it? Monday, Tuesday, then the second round would be on Wednesday.

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“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. For me, I played Sunday in Paris. That one was a little different, because then the guy [Hugo Gaston] second round pulled out. So it was five days in between my first two matches. That was a lot trickier.

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“But for the most part, you know, I like starting early. I think it’s an advantage to be on the early side of a Slam, and then late in the tournament, I don’t know if it’s between quarters and semis, you get two days off if you’re on that early schedule.

“So, I mean, I’m not going to complain about that.”

The 22-year-old proceeded to give his thoughts on the size of Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he will play a qualifier or a lucky loser on Sunday.

“It feels pretty good in there when I’m striking the ball, so… I don’t really have an issue with the size,” said Shelton.

“I love it. I like seeing the big stadium looking up, especially when the seats are full. That’s something I really look forward to.”

Shelton will be hoping to become a regular on Arthur Ashe Stadium this year, as he searches for a maiden Grand Slam title.

Ben Shelton says it’s a ‘matter of time’ before an American man wins the US Open

No American man has won the US Open since Andy Roddick lifted the title 22 years ago, back in 2003.

It does, however, feel like the top American players are edging closer to victory, with Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz all reaching the latter stages over the last few years.

Asked about their chances in 2025, Shelton claimed it’s just a ‘matter of time’ before one of them gets their hands on the trophy.

“Yeah, I’d love to see it. I feel like there have been a lot of guys who have been close here,” he said.

“Foe [Frances Tiafoe] is always on a different level when he plays here. [Taylor] Fritz was in the finals. I think Tommy [Paul] always plays really well here, too.

ATP Rank Name Best US Open performance US Open record US Open Win % 4 Taylor Fritz F – 2024 16-9 64% 6 Ben Shelton SF – 2023 7-3 70% 14 Tommy Paul 4R – 2023, 2024 8-7 53% 17 Frances Tiafoe SF – 2022, 2024 22-10 69% Top American players and their US Open records

“This is my favorite tournament. I think that we’ve got a lot of guys, even guys that you didn’t mention, who can make deep runs here and play against the best players in the world.

“I think that it’s a matter of time for us.

“You know, I think that the media will probably keep asking questions and debating until that happens. I can’t wait for that to happen, then we can kind of move on to a different question.

“But yeah, I think there are lots of guys that I could see do it.”

Only time will tell if any of Shelton, Fritz, Tiafoe, or Paul can pick up the title in New York, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins on Sunday, August 24.

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