Ben Shelton Faces Tough Challenge Against Auger-Aliassime at ATP Finals
If you’ve been following the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Wednesday’s opening match is shaping up to be a challenging one for American rising star Ben Shelton. He’s set to face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, and the odds are certainly not in Shelton’s favor. Shelton comes into this match after a tough defeat against Alex Zverev on Sunday, where his second serve was completely taken apart—he managed to win just 24% of points on it—and his return game struggled too, failing to generate a single break point.
This recent loss has highlighted Shelton’s difficulties against top-10 players this season. His record now stands at just two wins against eight losses, with both victories coming during a breakthrough week in Toronto. Looking back, Shelton’s previous encounter with Auger-Aliassime was at Roland Garros last year, a clay-court match where Shelton also failed to create a break point, losing 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. Even though clay is a slower surface than the hard courts in Turin, the signs from that match don’t bode well for Shelton this week.
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Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime comes into this match with solid recent form, having won 22 of his last 28 matches. While he did drop a match to Jannik Sinner on Monday, he was competitive in the first set, and his serve remains a formidable weapon. There was a minor concern when he needed treatment for a calf issue during that Sinner match, which caused him to fade in the second set, but he has since practiced at full intensity. Despite that small injury scare, the odds suggest he is in a strong position to take control against Shelton.
For Shelton, the path to victory looks steep. His serve and returns haven’t been consistent, and against a player like Auger-Aliassime, who has been serving so effectively, it’s going to be a major test. Analysts and betting previews are leaning toward Auger-Aliassime as the likely winner, though Shelton is known for his fighting spirit, so a surprise is never completely off the table.
Wednesday also features another exciting matchup between Jannik Sinner and Alex Zverev, but all eyes will be on Shelton’s challenge. He faces a tough road ahead, and unless he finds a way to elevate his serve and return game, this may be a learning experience more than a win on the scoreboard.
All in all, the Nitto ATP Finals are proving to be a showcase of both elite talent and emerging stars, and while Shelton’s journey in this group stage looks challenging, it’s also a valuable chance for him to test his skills against some of the very best in the world.
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