Shelton Turns Page to Melbourne After Auckland Setback

Rain hammered the courts in Auckland, turning a straightforward quarterfinal into a two-day ordeal that ended Ben Shelton’s run at the ATP 250 event. The eighth-ranked American, top-seeded and carrying the hopes of U.S. fans, fell 7-5, 6-3 to Sebastian Baez of Argentina, the unseeded 39th-ranked player whose gritty defense turned the tide. Shelton had nudged ahead 1-0 in the second set Thursday night when the downpour hit, suspending play and leaving the match dangling in uncertainty.

Resuming Friday, Baez held serve to level the set, then broke early to grab a 2-1 lead, his crosscourt forehands pinning Shelton back on the damp hard courts. The American’s big lefty serve, often clocking 130 mph, lost some bite in the slower conditions, forcing him into longer rallies where Baez’s compact returns shone. As the semis shaped up with third-seeded Jakub Mensik facing Fabian Marozsan and Baez set to meet American Marcos Giron later that day, Shelton shifted his gaze to Melbourne.

Rain’s interruption resets the rhythm

The delay didn’t just pause the match; it amplified the mental strain of early-season play, where every point feels amplified under gray skies. Shelton, at 23 the top-ranked American ahead of No. 9 Taylor Fritz, arrived with momentum from a solid 2025, but Baez‘s probing baseline game—mixing heavy topspin with occasional slice backhands—disrupted his 1–2 patterns. Pre-rain, Shelton dominated with inside-out forehands off the return, but the break allowed the Argentine to adjust, converting breaks with precise down-the-line passes that exploited any hesitation.

Auckland’s outdoor hard courts, softened by the weather, slowed the ball compared to the quicker Plexicushion awaiting in Melbourne, favoring Baez’s flatter strokes over Shelton’s explosive power. The crowd, huddled under umbrellas, sensed the shift as Baez steadied, his 70 percent first-serve points won keeping the American on the defensive. This tactical pivot highlighted vulnerabilities in transition, areas Shelton knows he must sharpen for the Australian Open’s faster bounce.

Chasing Sinner and Alcaraz’s shadow

In the post-match news conference, Shelton addressed the towering presence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the 24-year-old Italian and 22-year-old Spaniard who have claimed the past eight Grand Slam singles titles between them. He believes a wave of young talents, including himself, can close that gap, pointing to players still honing their edges. “To be doing what Alcaraz and Sinner are doing at such a young age is not normal but there’s so many young guys who haven’t fully developed or we haven’t seen their best tennis yet,” he added.

Shelton’s draw at the Australian Open pits him against Ugo Humbert of France in the first round, a left-handed counterpuncher whose varied spin could echo some of Baez’s disruptions but on a surface that suits his athleticism. To counter Humbert’s extended rallies, where he thrives beyond eight shots, Shelton plans to lean into aggressive net approaches, using wide serves to open angles for inside-in winners. The Melbourne heat will quicken the courts, amplifying his kick serves and reducing errors in heavy exchanges.

Gains from 2025 fuel the push

Shelton views the 2025 season as a vital steppingstone, one where process trumped immediate results. “The 2025 season was a great steppingstone for me ... there’s so many things I improved on in 2025 versus 2024,” he shared, noting refinements in footwork and return depth that held firmer against topspin-heavy foes. Auckland’s exit, far from derailing him, serves as a gritty audit, building on those gains with focused intent.

Heading into the Australian Open’s two-week grind, the top American carries quiet confidence, his raw power poised to clash with Humbert’s craft right from the start. The New Zealand frustration fades against Melbourne’s electric atmosphere, where early breakthroughs could propel him deeper, inching closer to the elite pack. For Shelton, this is evolution in motion, one ferocious swing at a time.