Ben Shelton secured his fifth Tour title with a dominant 6-2 7-5 victory over Flavio Cobolli, admitting that clay is gradually becoming one of his preferred surfaces. Shelton's win marked a significant milestone, as he became the first American to claim three ATP 500 titles and the first to win a title on clay above the ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi in 2002.
Following his triumph, Shelton expressed his aspirations for success on clay courts, particularly with the Roland Garros tournament approaching. He had been knocked out in the round of 16 last year by Carlos Alcaraz, who went on to win the tournament. Shelton reflected on his performance, stating, 'I started at a high level, which I've done before against him.
The challenge is maintaining that level as he raises his game.' He added, 'I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played exceptional tennis, and ultimately winning in straight sets.' Shelton expressed his satisfaction with his performance throughout the week, noting that he and his team had worked diligently to achieve this outcome. As he looks to the future, Shelton has lofty ambitions for his clay court performances, recognizing that it is a surface where he wants to improve each year. The match's tone was set from the outset, with Shelton breaking Cobolli's serve in the first game and then fending off six break points in his first service game.
Cobolli, who had played an outstanding match the previous day to defeat Alexander Zverev and reach his second Tour final this year, was unable to replicate that finesse in the final. Meanwhile, Arthur Fils won his first title since 2024 at the Barcelona Open, overcoming Andrey Rublev 6-2 7-6 (2) on Sunday. Fils, who returned to action in February after nearly eight months out due to injury, secured his fourth ATP title with the victory.