Ben Shelton reveals strategy to keep improving on tour after win against Mackenzie McDonald

America’s Ben Shelton said he wants to keep improving his game on the tour. Shelton recently suffered a straight-set quarterfinal loss in Wimbledon against eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

The lefty had beaten Sinner in 2023 and said at that time he wasn’t afraid to come to the net. Shelton said he doesn’t want to have any second thoughts in his game and wants to give his absolute best on the court.

Shelton has made it to the quarterfinal of the Washington Open and he defeated compatriot Mackenzie McDonald in the opening round.

Shelton said after the win: “Yeah, I think I’m a good athlete. I think I’m an all-court player. I don’t think a lot of guys are as willing to come to the net anymore.

“The time that I beat Sinner, I was coming into the net, no hesitation. I think that’s the style of tennis I like to play to compete and be at the top level, and that’s the next evolution of my game.

“The lack of hesitation, the split-second decisions to take away time, be aggressive, and impose my will on who I’m playing is where I need to be at. It’s a process. I’m not the player I want to be yet. I’m not where I want to be in a lot of areas, but I’m improving every year, getting better from the baseline every year.

“When I came on tour, I was poor from the baseline. My return numbers were the worst on tour. Now my return numbers are average, above average, top 100, and my serve is the same as where it’s been from the start if not a little bit better.

“I want to keep continuing to improve, and, you know, I think the exciting thing is there are a lot of areas I see I can improve. Yeah, closing that gap is a good goal for me.”

Shelton will face his countryman Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals of the Citi Open.