Ben Shelton Stuns Khachanov to Win First Masters 1000 Crown
In Toronto, a remarkable turnaround was witnessed as 22-year-old American Ben Shelton fought his way to the biggest victory of his young career. Playing in the Canadian Open final against Russia’s Karen Khachanov, Shelton came back from a set down to claim his very first ATP Masters 1000 title, winning 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3).
This was no ordinary week for Shelton. As the tournament’s fourth seed, he faced a gauntlet of high-caliber opponents, taking down Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, Australia’s Alex de Minaur, and fellow American Taylor Fritz to reach the final. Each match tested his grit, but it all built up to this dramatic showdown. With this victory, Shelton not only lifted the biggest trophy of his career but also climbed to a career-high world No. 6 ranking, making him the youngest American man to win a Masters 1000 title since Andy Roddick back in 2004.
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The final itself had all the twists and turns of a thriller. Khachanov started strong, grabbing a 5-3 lead in the opening set. It looked like momentum was firmly in his hands. But Shelton wasn’t going quietly. He broke back to lead 6-5, only for Khachanov to claw his way to a tiebreak. There, Shelton’s unforced errors were punished, and the Russian secured the first set.
The second set brought an unexpected hiccup—technical issues disrupted play at 2-2, when the stadium’s electronic line-calling system went down. After a delay, Khachanov jumped ahead 4-3, but once again Shelton responded with resilience. Breaking serve at just the right moment, he edged to 5-4 and held his nerve through four break points to take the set.
By the time the deciding set arrived, both men were delivering hammer-like serves—Shelton’s 16 aces in the match were a key weapon. Neither player could break the other’s serve, and so a tiebreak became inevitable. In that high-pressure moment, Shelton’s fearless hitting and calm under fire carried him through. When the final point was struck, the crowd erupted, celebrating not just the win but the arrival of a new force in men’s tennis.
It was a victory built on belief, power, and an unshakable refusal to back down. In a sport where momentum swings can decide everything, Shelton showed that youth can bring not just energy, but composure. His performance this week in Toronto will be remembered not just for the trophy he lifted, but for the way he fought—point after point, game after game—until the match was his.
And now, with his first Masters 1000 title in hand and the confidence of a champion, Ben Shelton’s journey on the ATP Tour looks like it’s only just getting started.
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