Former Florida Gators tennis star Ben Shelton is one of three Americans to advance to the Round of 16 at Roland-Garros (French Open) on Friday.
Shelton often plays his best tennis in Grand Slam events, but the clay court tournament was the only one of the four majors he had not advanced to the second week of. Clay is not Shelton’s best surface, and his 2025 clay season has been described as a “rollercoaster” on several occasions, thanks to a couple of early exits.
Coming into the tournament, Shelton said he wanted to improve on his performance from last year, when he was eliminated in straight sets by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 32. A five-set scare in the first round against Lorenzo Sonego almost crushed that dream, but a withdrawal and Friday’s win earned Shelton a spot in the Round of 16.
The bad news is that Shelton must upset World No. 2 Carlos Acaraz to advance any further. Both 22 years old, Alcaraz has more experience, debuting in 2018 (Shelton debuted in 2022), and he’s the defending champion.
“Playing the defending champion, round of 16, I’m guessing center court, that’s a pretty cool opportunity, pretty cool experience,” Shelton said.
Before Shelton and Alcaraz go at it in the fourth round, let’s take a look at how Shelton got to this point in the tournament.
Round of 128: Ben Shelton def. Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Shelton survived an early upset bid from Sonego on Sunday, winning in five rounds on Court Philippe-Chartier. Sonego had him a set away from elimination, but a fourth-set rally changed the momentum of the game. Shelton broke to lead 2-1 and cruised from there. He took a medical timeout before the final set to receive treatment on his left ankle. He finished the match with 58 winners to 42 unforced errors and 15 aces.
”This was a tough one for sure,” Shelton said. “I played him in the quarters in Australia and I know he is a big-match player, a Grand Slam player and you guys saw some hot shots tonight and some crazy tennis from him. For me, I thought the crowd was great. It was my first time being out here on Court Philippe-Chatrier and it will not be one that I forget.”
Shelton is now 3-1 against Sonego for his career and 7-3 in five-set games.
Pushed to the limit 😤
Shelton gets the win in 5 sets over Sonego! #RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/zwygmtGHDk
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2025
Round of 64: Ben Shelton def. Hugo Gaston (withdrew)
Shelton didn’t have to touch the clay to advance to the third round of the French Open. His opponent, Hugo Gaston, withdrew from the tournament with an abdominal injury. It’s a significant withdrawal for Shelton since it allows him to take an extra day of rest.
That ankle issue Shelton needed treatment on in the first round is the kind of injury that can get worse over time, especially on a surface like clay. Most of the competition will have fresh legs in between weekends, but fatigue is still a factor in the long term.
Round of 32: Ben Shelton def. Matteo Gigante 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
No fourth extra sets were needed to decide Shelton’s third-round matchup against Gigante as the former Gator cruised to a victory in straight sets. The highlight of the game came when Shelton won a point after he tripped and fell. The play earned him a friendly hand check from Gigante after Shelton rushed the net in anticipation of a return volley.
“It was because of my lack of good clay court movement I fell on my face, and so that’s why I hit the ball from the ground,” he said. “I wish I could say I dove for that, but I had already fell on my face before the ball was arriving.”
BEN SHELTON REALLY WON THIS POINT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/uC0mtOFRxt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2025
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Former Gator Ben Shelton advances to Round of 16 at Roland-Garros
