Ben Shelton retired with a left shoulder injury ahead of the fifth set of his third-round match with Adrian Mannarino at the US Open on August 29, 2025.
What happened?
The 22-year-old left-hander from Atlanta was on track to potentially face No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Ben Shelton first grimaced in pain after hitting a forehand at the end of the third set.
He took a medical timeout at the beginning of the fourth and could be seen telling his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, that he felt “the worst pain I ever felt in my life” on the forehand.
Why it matters for Ben Shelton
This injury is a significant setback for Ben Shelton, who was playing the best tennis of his life, having won his first Masters 1000 title a few weeks ago in Canada.
He had also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
Ben Shelton entered the US Open as the top American betting favorite to win the title, and the fourth favorite overall.
What comes next?
The veteran Mannarino was able to take advantage of Shelton’s struggles, moving him around the court while Shelton struggled on the forehand side.
Mannarino will now face No. 22 Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16.
Ben Shelton's retirement marks a tough day for US men, with No. 17 Frances Tiafoe also going out in straight sets to Germany’s Jan-Lenard Struff.
No. 4 Taylor Fritz and No. 12 Tommy Paul remain the highest-seeded American men.
Ben Shelton said, “I never retired before, I’m not a guy who would retire if I could continue.”
He added, “Usually I’ll play through anything and just kind of find a way.”
The US Open has not seen an American man win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Ben Shelton had said ahead of the tournament, “This is my favorite tournament, I think that we’ve got a lot of guys who can make deep runs here and play against the best players in the world.”