Ben Shelton emerged victorious in the BMW Open final, defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 to secure his fifth Tour title. Shelton's win marks his second clay title and makes him the first American to win three ATP 500 titles.
He expressed his growing fondness for clay surfaces, which he believes are becoming one of his favorites. Shelton's ambitions on clay are high, especially with Roland Garros approaching.
Last year, he was knocked out in the round of 16 by Carlos Alcaraz. Shelton started strong, breaking Cobolli's serve in the first game and withstanding six break points in his first service game.
Although Cobolli had played an impressive match against Alexander Zverev the previous day, he was unable to replicate that performance in the final. The American's victory also makes him the first from his country to win a clay title above the ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi in 2002. Shelton had won his first clay title in Houston in 2024.
In another match, Arthur Fils defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 (2) to win his first title since 2024 at the Barcelona Open. The Frenchman, who returned to action in February after nearly eight months out due to injury, secured his fourth ATP title with the win.
Fils dominated the first set, winning it in just 31 minutes, but struggled to maintain his lead in the second set. Despite facing challenges, he managed to force a decisive tiebreak, where he ultimately prevailed 7-2.