NITTO ATP FINALS

November 9, 2025

Ben Shelton

Inalpi Arena,Torino

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/B. Shelton

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Ben, tough luck today. What do you think made the difference in the end?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, really got to give him credit. I thought he served extremely well. He was tight on his targets, served over 80% first serves. Returned well, too.

Obviously I had my chances in the second set. Bummed that I didn't close it out in that moment when the set was on my racquet.

But some positives to take away, as well.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Back to these three set points you had in the second. When you think about them, what do you feel? What could you have done differently?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, hindsight is 20/20.

6-3 I used a play that had worked a couple times for me in the match. He came up with the goods. Too good on the return.

I can't be frustrated with my decision where I served at 6-4. Kind of over-pressing on the first ball. Same as over-pressing 6-5 on the first ball after the return. Especially I wasn't feeling uncomfortable in the rally at that point in the match. I just overplayed a little bit. Yeah, three points I wish I could have back, for sure.

Like I said, a lot of positives putting myself in that position to win the set.

As a guy who serves the way I do, I got to close that out.

Q. When you're talking about positives, what did you feel were the positives or are the positives?

BEN SHELTON: I hit my backhand great. I didn't feel that that side was breaking down at all. I was hitting winners on my backhand, which is new for me. My ball control was great. My unforced error count on that side was really low. I know that my forehand's a weapon. I actually lost with my forehand today.

How solid I was off the backhand side is a positive. Started to figure out how to get in points on the return late in the match. He served exceptionally well, which made it very difficult.

But I got better as the match went on. If I was to win one of those set points in the second set, maybe we're having a different conversation.

But yeah, I felt like the way that I was more in control today than I'd felt in the past matches against him, I'm still trying to find it. I made way too many unforced errors, especially on the forehand. I didn't hit the forehand exactly how I want to. That's something that I know I have.

Q. It's your first time here. How would you rate the experience so far, except tonight, in general?

BEN SHELTON: No, I mean, it's great. I think it's a great tournament. The way they put the site together, the fans, the atmosphere, stadium. No complaints being here in Turin.

Q. You only won five points with your second serve. What can you do to improve this shot?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I don't think it's the serve. I think it's what I do after the serve. I think Sascha is one of the best second-serve returners in the world. How much length he gets, how long his arms are, he can cover the whole court. He's a very difficult player to serve and volley against. He makes it very, very difficult.

I definitely wouldn't say anything is wrong with my second serve. I think that I have one of the best second serves in the world. I think that usually the stats show that.

A guy like him exposed some things tonight. With me overplaying with my forehand, not winning with my forehand at a high percentage as I would have liked to, I think that's kind of what contributed to that percentage being a bit lower.

Only five points is hard to believe. I'm going to go check that later.