Ben Shelton secured his fifth Tour title with a convincing 6-2, 7-5 win over Flavio Cobolli, acknowledging that clay is gradually becoming one of his preferred surfaces. This victory marks his second clay title and makes him the first American to win three ATP 500 titles.
Shelton's ambitions on clay are on the rise, especially with Roland Garros approaching, after being knocked out in the round of 16 last year by Carlos Alcaraz. Shelton stated, "I started at a high level, which I've done before against him. The challenge is maintaining that level as he improves his game.
I managed to do that in the second set, persevering when he played exceptional tennis, and ultimately winning in straight sets. I'm pleased with my performance this week, continually improving as the week progressed, and I'm grateful for the work my team and I put in. Looking ahead, I have significant aspirations for clay courts, a surface I aim to improve on each year, and it's slowly becoming a favourite of mine. This is just one step in a long journey, and we'll see what the future holds." The match's tone was set early, with Shelton breaking Cobolli's serve in the first game and then defending six break points in his first service game.
Cobolli, who had played one of his best matches the previous day to defeat Zverev and reach his second Tour final this year, was unable to replicate that performance in the final. Shelton's win makes him the first American since Andre Agassi in 2002 to win a title on clay above the ATP 250 level, having secured his first clay title in Houston in 2024. Meanwhile, Arthur Fils defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 (2) to win his first title since 2024 at the Barcelona Open on Sunday, claiming his fourth ATP title.