Ben Shelton, the top seed from the United States, triumphed over fellow American and defending champion Taylor Fritz, winning the Stuttgart Open ATP title with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Sunday. This victory marks Shelton’s first title on grass.
Before this match, Fritz, known for his skills on grass courts, had never faced defeat in a final on this surface. Shelton managed to break Fritz’s serve once in both the opening and final sets to secure the win after 1 hour and 48 minutes of play.
The 23-year-old showcased remarkable resilience, having played nearly five hours of tennis the previous day. Despite facing challenges, he successfully defended against nine out of Fritz’s eleven break points.
This title represents Shelton’s third overall, adding to his victories at the Dallas Open in February and the Munich Open in April, where he also bested the ninth-ranked Fritz.
With this achievement, Shelton joins an elite group of players who have won titles on hard, clay, and grass surfaces in a single season, a feat previously accomplished this decade by Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Bublik, and Novak Djokovic.
“I’m pretty exhausted but to play the way I did, against the quality of opponents I played, in very tight matches – and getting a win today over one of the best grass court players in the world is a huge boost for my confidence,” Shelton remarked.
Fritz acknowledged Shelton’s impressive performance throughout the tournament, noting his “insane schedule this week” and describing him as “it speaks to the kind of player he is – an amazing competitor”
On his path to the final, Shelton faced a physically demanding Saturday, where he concluded a delayed quarter-final and then engaged in a nearly three-hour battle against Jiri Lehecka in the afternoon.
Previously, Shelton had lost the first set in each of his three matches leading up to the final, but he began the championship match with a strong and controlled display. However, fatigue became apparent as Fritz dominated the second set, conceding only a single point on his serve. In the decisive final set, although Fritz continued to serve well, Shelton stood firm, breaking Fritz’s serve in the second-to-last game before ultimately serving for the match.
“Taylor was completely unplayable for parts of the match today,” Shelton stated, adding that his performance “gives me a lot of hope going into Halle and Wimbledon”
Wimbledon is set to commence on June 29.
