OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 5, 2026

Ben Shelton

Mixed Zone

B. SHELTON/J. Brooksby

6-3, 7-5

Q. Ben, congratulations for the win.

BEN SHELTON: Thank you.

Q. In the second set you got a bit tight. You came back, still managed to get it done. How did you do it?

BEN SHELTON: For me, it was just about staying focused. I've been returning great all match. So I knew that I was going to have my chances to break back.

For me to break twice in that second set to win it was huge. I think it's a good maturation of me as a player. To be able to be down a break, and usually that's just a set that I would lose 6-2 or 6-3, but to get it back and win that in straight sets was important for me and my confidence moving forward in this tournament.

Q. You touched on it. The more important obviously is to win that match, but to win it this way, is it a good way to start the tournament?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah. 100 percent. My first straight-sets win since Halle first round. I think to be able to close a match out in two sets, to stay focused all the way through and to be able to stay on top, every match is going to have its ups and downs, and every matchup is different, but yeah, I'm happy with the way I did it today.

Q. I'm going to ask you a question that maybe seems to come out of nowhere a little bit. But recently Novak Djokovic said that the scoring system should be overhauled. He proposed something like the Next Gen tournament. I don't know be if you heard about it.

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I actually heard that.

Q. What do you think about it?

BEN SHELTON: I think it could be cool. It was interesting coming from him, because he's always been the guy who's the fittest on tour, the guy that can last five hours, six hours, doesn't matter.

But I think it would be an interesting change, for sure. I think tennis is certainly a traditional sport, and tournaments like to stick with their traditions, but I would be interested to play some matches in this format.

I thought it was cool the way they did it at the Next Gen finals. I like the five-set format. Whether it's a shortened or a full format, I think could be cool.

Q. Usually when you guys walk out to a big like venue or the main arena, you're just in a back hallway. What's it like to walk through the fans and kind of like get the vibe of the tournament as you're walking out onto the main court?

BEN SHELTON: I think it's cool. I think it's great obviously for me I always have my headphones on. Bose Noise Canceling, by the way. Shout out, Bose.

So I guess I don't hear the outside noise as much, but to see all the fans screaming is really, really cool, and, yeah, I think a part that makes this tournament special, along with the interview before you walk on court, which I'm not as much accustomed to or the biggest fan of, but something to get used to.

Q. They do like a TV interview before?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah.

Q. Ben, we saw a couple of top seeded players lose last night, Cobolli, Rublev. Obviously those things happen even early in tournaments, like Masters 1000. But it seems like the depth on tour beyond Sinner and Alcaraz is stronger than it ever was. Do you agree with that, that the ranking is not necessarily as reflective as it once was for like Top 40, Top 50 players?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah. I don't know. I think there's a lot of ways to look at it. I think that you've always had guys outside of the big three or outside of Sinner, Alcaraz that, you know, are great players.

I think there is so much talent going all the way down. I think that first round matches are tougher than ever. To be completely honest, I think that there's so much talent all the way down to 150 in the world, even further. I don't think that the drop-off in level is that huge.

But I do think that this year, outside of kind of three players, the rest of the tour has been super up in the air. I think that obviously when Alcaraz was playing, he was really consistent. Zverev has been super consistent this year, and Sinner as well.

But I think that there has been a lot more opportunity outside of that, and I think that it's something that I'm definitely looking to capitalize on the rest of this year being the hardcourts.

Q. And with Sinner and Alcaraz missing, and Djokovic as well, how do you see this tournament specifically?

BEN SHELTON: I think you have so many guys who are playing such good tennis. Obviously Felix playing here at home. Zverev, who's had such a strong year. And so many other top seeded guys. Fritz coming off of a title.

I don't think that it's insanely weak, so to speak. I think it's probably a little bit stronger than Canada was last year with the form that players have been in, but I think certainly an opportunity that the players see when Sinner and Alcaraz aren't in the draw, but not something I think about that much. I'm not someone who looks ahead in the draw anyway, kind of just focus on the match in front of me.