By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 30, 2025
Photo credit: Geoff Robins/Tennis Canada/National Bank Open Facebook
Sprinting left, Ben Shelton lasered a running forehand strike that scorched the back edge of the baseline to seal the first set.
That thunderstrike in Paris reverberated all the way to Turin.
The 23-year-old Shelton stopped Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3 to charge into the Rolex Paris Masters quarterfinals and clinch his spot in the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.
It’s the 40th win of the season for Shelton—his second straight 40 win season—and seals his spot as the sixth man to qualify for the eight-man ATP finals field. Shelton joins Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, whose status for Turin is uncertain, and compatriot Taylor Fritz in qualifying for the ATP Finals, set for the Inalpi Arena, November 9-16th.
Today, Shelton served 74 percent, pumped 15 aces against no double faults and played arguably his most complete match since winning the National Bank Open Toronto title in August, highlighted by that superb running streak to seal the opening set.
How to 🔒 down a set, by @BenShelton #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/cefnyKE33X
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 30, 2025
The seventh-ranked Shelton improved to 40-20 on the season. Shelton is the fourth American to reach four ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinals since the start of the 2010 season joining Andy Roddick in 2010, John Isner in 2015 and Fritz in 2023.
The victory vaults Shelton into the quarterfinals against either reigning ATP Finals champion Sinner or Francisco Cerundolo.