Ben Shelton secured his fifth Tour title with a decisive 6-2, 7-5 victory over Flavio Cobolli, acknowledging that clay is gradually becoming a preferred surface for him. Shelton's win marked a triumphant return to the final after losing to Alexander Zverev last year, as he claimed his second clay title and made history as the first American to win three ATP 500 titles. Following his success, Shelton expressed his ambitions for the upcoming clay season, including Roland Garros, where he was eliminated in the round of 16 last year by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
"I started at an extremely high level, which I've done before against him," Shelton stated. "The challenge is maintaining that level as he raises his game.
I managed to do that in the second set, staying focused when he played exceptional tennis, and ultimately winning in straight sets. I'm pleased with my performance this week, continually improving and grateful for the effort my team and I put in. My goal is to improve on clay each year, and it's slowly becoming one of my favorite surfaces.
This is just the beginning of a long journey, and we'll see what the future holds." The tone of the match was established early on, with Shelton breaking Cobolli's serve in the first game and then defending six break points in his first service game. Shelton's victory also made him the first American since Andre Agassi in 2002 to win a title on clay above the ATP 250 level, having won 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.