"One that he will take with him to try and achieve winning a Grand Slam": Ben Shelton praised by Kim Clijsters with characteristic picked to achieve Grand Slam dream

Thursday, 17 September 2026 at 19:30

Ben Shelton has added further assets to his arsenal which will help him towards winning the US Open in the future. That is the view of legendary Belgian Kim Clijsters after the American saw his bid for glory downed in the final of the 2026 US Open.

The big-serving American took another big step forward in his career, making the final at Flushing Meadows, albeit he went on to lose against Alexander Zverev in four sets.

Despite that, the 23-year-old beat Alcaraz in five sets in the quarter-finals on his way to the final. He backed up defending the Canadian Open last month too in the process.

Shelton on his way to the Grand Slam title

While there are still parts of his game as a young star that he needs to improve, e.g., his backhand and return, former World No. 1 Clijsters sees Shelton certainly having a bright future in the game.

Speaking on her podcast Love All, she praised his assets that he has in order to become the player he is now and that his maturity has grown to the point now where he makes better decisions on the court, and it isn't fully to do even with his game on court.

Alexander Zverev holding a trophy while smiling

Alexander Zverev GER with the US Open Trophy after beating Ben Shelton

“Ben did incredibly well. He played some really, really good tennis. Great for his confidence to take this with you to the next Grand Slam.

“This is why you build and play these matches and why he becomes a bit more patient as well. He’s grown and matured as a tennis player in front of our eyes. Not so much with his tennis. He’s always had very explosive shots, and he’s a great server and can move well.

“But I feel his maturity on court, how he keeps the adrenaline under control and uses it at the right times – which was nice to see. A great experience and one that he will take with him to try and achieve winning a Grand Slam.”

Whether he can win a Grand Slam one day, Clijsters said she thinks he will one day. But while he lost this time to Zverev, who many see as the best player in the world in certain facets right now, Clijsters believes he does have it in him in the future.

Which, as a player who has previously played at the highest level, is certainly high praise indeed given, unlike Shelton, yet she has actually got over the line in a major. Shelton is now up to third in the ATP Race, with only Zverev and Sinner ahead of him. Alcaraz is in fourth, but as a Grand Slam champion, he has already qualified.

Read also

Shelton will already return to action this week in a bid that could be genius or lunacy as he plays Davis Cup. But he has since withdrawn from the Laver Cup.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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