US OPEN

August 28, 2026

Ben Shelton

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Ben.

Q. IBM is releasing new stats about serve quality. For you, are there certain elements of the serve beyond speed and some of those top-line metrics you look at, and if there's anything you wish fans had access to in terms of numbers beyond what we see right now?

BEN SHELTON: 100%, it pisses me off, because I hit a kick serve that's 87 miles an hour, but it jumps over the guy's head and they're like, oh, that serve quality out of 10 is a 7.5. And I'm, like, no, it's not. I finished the Montreal tournament that I think I served great and I'm like .6 under my average serve quality. Sorry that I'm coming in hot today. (Laughter.) I'm passionate about this, all right?

But yeah, I think there are so many areas other than just speed that matter when it comes to serve.

Q. I saw in Montreal, how good did it feel to get a title at one of the bigger events? And how do you feel coming into this US Open?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, it felt great. For me, the consistency that I showed throughout the week, how focused I was mentally, and to get through that tournament without dropping a set. Really, what I was most happy about was the level of tennis that I was playing, being able to kind of go back, watch some of the things that I was doing, implementing so many areas that I've been working on in my training block prior.

To be able to execute at such a high level for ten days straight was a really good feeling.

Q. I wonder how you feel about the opportunity that's in front of you now, given that last year was difficult, kind of heartbreaking in a way. Is it tricky to balance the excitement that you feel to write another chapter here and just stay mellow and focused and on point?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I think it's something that I've learned and improved at over the years, to be able to balance the two.

Obviously this is a tournament that I have a lot of emotions here, I'm really passionate about playing here, it's my favorite tournament of the year.

Sometimes you have to be able to downplay that, and at the same time, you've got to be able to relish the moment and enjoy how big of a moment that you're in or stadium that you're playing in. It's the part of tennis that I enjoy the most.

And for me, you know, there's so much opportunity after being injured last year, you know, crashing out in the third round here and not being able to do much for the rest of the year after, I think this last quarter of the 2026 season, I'll be full steam ahead and see what we can do.

Q. How much are the last two slams in your head when you go into the next one in terms of, you know, you have big ideas about what you can accomplish in these tournaments and what you want to accomplish in these tournaments? How hard is it to sort of flush that stuff out of your head, put it behind you, and give yourself a clean slate?

BEN SHELTON: Well, I mean, for me, sometimes I have the memory of a goldfish. Especially if I'm able to turn the page, get on a new surface and start playing well, I'm not even thinking about it at all.

The clay and the grass, we'll come back next year and be another challenge to tackle, but right now I'm fully focused on this hard-court swing. The way I've been playing the last four weeks, what my strengths are on this surface and what I think I can do here is kind of the only thing that's been in my mind until you asked me (smiling).

Q. You say memory of a goldfish. When you look at, A, your health, the way you're playing, the kind of form you're in, and the absence of Sinner, do you look at this any more than you might have some other time as an opportunity both for yourself and for a U.S. male breakthrough here? Or do you not kind of allow the draw and who's in to even play into that?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, for me, as I always say, I'm focused on my first round, my first match. I don't think too far beyond that. I don't look at the draw other than who I'm playing in the first round. I think that's the only way for me to be able to kind of compartmentalize and stay in the moment when I'm here playing. I'm not someone who likes to get ahead of myself.

I know how much quality that there is in the draw. I think it would be disrespectful to just think, oh, there's no Sinner, it's a massive opportunity, when you have guys who've won slams this year in Zverev and Sinner, obviously Novak is in the draw, guys who've won big titles and have been in great form, whether it's Jodar, Arthur Fils, all the American guys are pretty dangerous on this surface.

I think to kind of discredit the group that is playing high-level tennis right now wouldn't be smart. Going into a tournament like this, I think I always have respect for whoever is playing. I try not to over-respect my opponents, obviously. But I think it is a very important part of who I am as a person and how I look at my tennis game and the tournaments I'm playing in.

Q. I don't know if you saw what Coco's mom posted on Instagram about the ticket requests. She basically was like, stop asking me for tickets if you don't talk to me during the year and please only ask for two. And also, Coco is an adult now so she manages that herself.

BEN SHELTON: There you go, Ms. Gauff. I like that.

Q. It resonated with a couple of players. I wonder how you keep that balance. Obviously you want your community and friends and family around you, and I'm sure when you get to New York every year maybe you get inundated or more than you do at other slams or tournaments. How do you balance that out?

BEN SHELTON: When I'm at the big tournaments I kind of shut off my phone. I'm not the best about replying. A lot of people are like, I texted you. Sorry, brother. I didn't see it.

I think my team does a great job managing a lot of those things, and sometimes I say sorry to my parents, because a lot of times it goes over to them, Hey, I texted Ben, I didn't get a response. Can you guys help me out?

No, I think it's great to be able to play in front of the people that love you, the people that you love, friends, family, whoever it may be. It's definitely a hot ticket playing here at the US Open and you do have a lot of people reaching out. I guess a lot of times I don't see it.

Q. You mentioned you were proud of your consistency in Canada. Do you attribute that more to execution or is that also a lot about decision-making, like you've played a little bit higher percentage brand of tennis? Or was it just the shots were landing?

BEN SHELTON: I think that it's knowing what you have and you don't have on the day, working with yourself in that way and not trying to press or be something that you aren't in the moment. Then at the same time, just the mental focus of staying in that moment.

If I'm playing well, not reaching for more and more, but trying to stay at that 80% level or being able to problem-solve on the fly. I think that really keeping my mind in the game for the duration of the match is really, really important. I was able to do that for two sets every match that I played up there.

Bigger challenge here, doing it three-out-of-five sets and more matches if you want to walk away here with the title. But it's a challenge that I always look forward to.

Q. How satisfied are you with the council you're getting and the other players with regard to negotiations with the Grand Slams, and what's progress for you from here on out?

BEN SHELTON: I mean, I think 100% we're moving in the right direction in terms of prize money increases in terms of the tournaments' willingness to have a player council and allow us to have a voice moving forward. This has always been one of the biggest points for me, because I think the decision-making process, what days we're playing, how many days that we're playing, you know, what happens in the pre-weeks, so many decisions that go into Grand Slams that before we were blind about.

Having a player council will help with a lot of those things is something that I'm certainly interested in, and I think there's more work to do from both sides always.

But I think that from all sides we're committed to making it a great product for the fans, and we're certainly moving in the right direction.

Q. You spoke a moment ago about being in the moment, being very focused. To what degree do you draw upon the great moments you've had such as here at the Open in those moments to help you?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, I don't know in the moments when I'm on the court if I am thinking about stuff like that, because then I think I'd be taking myself out of the moment.

But I think, you know, leading up to a tournament it's definitely something that I want to draw on, remembering the good moments that I have had here, the great tennis that I've played. I'm not someone who sits and watches highlights of themselves all the time, but every once in while I think it is good to be able to go back and look at the things you've done at a specific tournament, especially here, somewhere that I've played really, really well.

But I think that once I'm out there on the court, it's just me and the guy on the other side of the net.