Ben Shelton gained the Nationwide Financial institution Open on Thursday night time for the third and largest title of his younger profession, rallying to beat eleventh -seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3).
The 22-year-old Shelton, seeded fourth, turned the primary American winner within the Masters 1000 hard-court occasion since Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton additionally gained on exhausting courts in Tokyo in 2023 and on clay in Houston final 12 months.
“It is a surreal feeling,” Shelton stated. “It has been an extended week, not a simple path to the ultimate. My greatest tennis got here out when it mattered most. I used to be clutch, I persevered, I used to be resilient. All of the qualities I prefer to see in myself.”
Ben Shelton, middle proper, of the USA, celebrates after his win over Karen Khachanov, of Russia, along with his father Bryan Shelton, middle left, after the ultimate match on the Nationwide Financial institution Open males’s tennis match in Toronto, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (
Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press through AP
Shelton will transfer up a spot to a career-high sixth on the earth. He beat Khachanov an evening after topping second-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American semifinal match.
“I really feel prefer it was an ideal storm for me this week,” Shelton stated. “A number of tight matches and lengthy matches. I performed among the greatest tennis that I’ve performed this 12 months.”
The winner had seven of his 16 aces within the third set, and ended the match by successful 14 consecutive factors on serve. He held at like to pressure the final-set tiebreaker.
“He went for his photographs, trusted the work that he is put in and he executed,” stated Bryan Shelton, his father and coach. “Generally you do and typically you do not. Nevertheless it’s all the time good when you may go away a match and maintain a trophy up in your palms as a result of it is uncommon.”
The 29-year-old Khachanov has seven profession titles – all on exhausting courts. Within the semifinals, he survived a match level in one other third-set tiebreaker in opposition to top-seeded Alexander Zverev.
“It is a optimistic, an awesome match, an awesome run,” Khachanov stated. “I had some nice battles and nice wins in opposition to high guys.”
Prime-ranked Jannik Sinner – the 2023 winner in Toronto – and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz skipped the expanded occasion as they put together for the U.S. Open.
Julian Money and Lloyd Glasspool gained the all-English doubles ultimate, saving 4 match factors in a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 13-11 victory over Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski. The second-seeded Wimbledon champions have gained 19 straight matches.