Ben Shelton outshines Karen Khachanov to win ATP Toronto title; breaks USA's 22-year drought in Canada
Ben Shelton became the first American since
Andy Roddick
in 2003 to win an ATP Masters 1000 title in Canada, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in Toronto on Thursday. The 22-year-old's victory will elevate him to sixth in the world rankings, surpassing Novak Djokovic.
"It's a surreal feeling. It's been a long week. It was not an easy path to the finals. But my best tennis just came out when it mattered the most," Shelton said.
The match lasted two hours and forty-five minutes, denying 11th seed Khachanov his second Masters title since his Paris Bercy victory in 2018.
Shelton, playing with a heavily strapped right quadriceps muscle, dominated the final set tiebreaker with leads of 3-0 and 5-2.
He secured the victory on his second match point, serving 16 aces throughout the match.
The first set saw Khachanov break Shelton's serve to lead 4-3, but Shelton fought back to level at 5-5. Khachanov claimed the 64-minute opening set with a leaping volley winner after saving three set points in the 12th game.
Technical issues disrupted the match during the fifth game of the second set when the computerised line calling system's audio failed.
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Play resumed after a six-minute delay with Khachanov holding for 3-2.
"I was clutch, I persevered, it was brilliant, I'm developing qualities that will help in tennis and in life," Shelton stated.
"Karen was bullying me around the court, I felt like a freight train coming at me. The balls were coming fast but I was able to redirect. I hit some big shots and flipped the momentum of the match."
Shelton, encouraged by his father-coach Bryan Shelton throughout the match, managed to break for a 5-4 lead in the second set. He saved four break points before winning the set with a decisive shot that left Khachanov on the ground.
After securing victory, Shelton celebrated with his father, a former ATP player, in the stands.
The Toronto victory marks Shelton's third career title, following his wins in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston in 2024.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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