"You won’t hear me pouting over here about how bad things are, I have a lot of blessings": Ben Shelton puts US Open heartbreak into perspective

Ben Shelton faced the press after his painful retirement at the 2025 US Open, speaking candidly about the discomfort he felt, his respect for opponent Adrian Mannarino, and the perspective he carries despite the setback.

Asked about the level of pain at the end of the US Open match, Shelton admitted it was severe as he retired tied level at four sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 with his shoulder giving way before the final set he lost. “Yeah, really high,” he said. “I’m not sure—I’ve never retired before. I’m not a guy who would retire if I could continue.”

Reflecting on facing Mannarino, Shelton was quick to highlight the unique challenges the matchup presents. “Yeah, he’s a great player. Sometimes it’s tough to find answers against him. He just seems to not have any holes. He returns really well. He has a different serving style that makes it difficult to deal with. Yeah, he’s a great player—I’ve had a lot of battles with him.”

The 21-year-old confirmed he had not entered the contest with an injury, and couldn’t identify exactly when the problem arose. “No, I can’t pinpoint it. I didn’t go in with an injury. I’m not sure,” Shelton said when asked if the issue came from his fall at the end of the third set.

Even as the fourth set began, Shelton explained his mindset was to fight through the pain rather than worry about finishing. “I was just trying to adjust and figure out whatever I could to keep competing,” he said. “Even though I was in pain, I was kind of in that competitive mindset of trying to find a way and push through it. So, yeah, it wasn’t really a thought in my mind.” When asked whether he would undergo scans or imaging, Shelton remained non-committal. “Yeah, we’ll see,” he said.

Despite the disappointment, Shelton refused to dwell negatively on the situation, pointing to the bigger picture of his strong summer on tour. “Yeah, I’ve got a lot to be grateful for. I’ve been pretty fortunate in my life, blessings, talents, a lot of things God’s given me,” he reflected. “A small setback like this, yeah, it hurts. I was playing really well, I was in form, a lot of confidence. So many things to be happy with: the way that I was playing, moving on the court, competing. But like I said, it’s been a great summer, a lot of things to be thankful for. You won’t hear me over here pouting about how bad things are with the summer that I’ve had and the things I’ve been able to do in this sport in a short amount of time. And the people I’ve got around me, like I said, a lot of blessings.”

Shelton admitted the inner dialogue was tricky as the pain worsened. “Usually I’ll play through anything and just find a way,” he said. “Whether it’s sickness or injury, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I’ve never felt anything like this before, so that was kind of tough. I guess the uncertainty… but yeah, I don’t really have anything else to say.”

Clarifying what happened at the start of the fourth set, Shelton explained his conversations with the trainer were focused on pain management rather than long-term risk. “No, we didn’t really talk about that at all,” he said. “The shoulder is obviously complex, so it’s tough to know. I was basically just trying to alleviate pain and see if I could play, and that was the extent of it.”

Pressed on whether it was a sudden issue, Shelton admitted: “Can’t really pinpoint it. That’s when the pain started—the beginning of the fourth. But honestly, I have no clue what it’s from.”