Still very early in his pro career, Ben Shelton is not letting any teachable moment go unlearned as he continues to make big progress on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Following heartbreaking losses in the Rome (Georgia), Chicago, and Tiburon Challenger finals, Shelton was left looking for answers on why he hadn’t lifted a Challenger trophy yet.

“I got to a point where I felt hopeless on court,” Shelton told Challenger Tour commentator Mike Cation. “Second round of Fairfield and second round of Las Vegas, I felt like I was the one getting attacked. Especially against Earnesto Escobedo [in Las Vegas].

“I’m okay with losing, but if I don’t do everything I can competitively to give myself a chance to win, that really upsets me. Coming out of Las Vegas, I was like, ‘That’s never going to happen again’. I’m not going to go down in the dumps and not give a full fight.”

Shelton was determined to get rid of his championship match struggles and it was only a matter of time before the lefty would be crowned champion.

A close friend offered Shelton some help. Christopher Eubanks, World No. 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, had a key conversation with Shelton at the Charlottesville Challenger. Little did the two know that they would meet in Sunday’s championship match.

“It was actually Chris [Eubanks] who told me a couple days before the final, he said, ‘You can’t help yourself with those [negative] thoughts that come into your mind’, Shelton said. “They are going to come, right after the point, you’re going to have a reaction, but how do you flip the script before you start the next point?’ When I was upset this week, I went into the next point bouncing, getting the negative energy out and turning it into a fire in my belly.”

Shelton survived the former Georgia Tech University standout 7-6(4), 7-5 and following the match they didn’t go into the locker room and call it a day. Instead, Eubanks drove Shelton to the airport so he could travel to the Knoxville Challenger.

Christopher Eubanks (left) and Ben Shelton following the Charlottesville Challenger final. Credit: Allen Hoover

“There’s not a guy I would’ve rather played in the final,” Shelton said. “Nobody really understands what Chris has done for me. The support he’s given me is unmatched. He’s a selfless human being and a big brother to me.”

Shelton, who is coached by his father (Bryan, former World No. 55), has been building upon his NCAA singles title in May. The former University of Florida star is already making a sudden impact on the Challenger Tour. Since claiming the college crown, Shelton has reached seven Challenger semi-finals, including this week in Knoxville, and boasts a 28-8 Challenger match record in 2022. In Charlottesville, the 20-year-old dropped just one set en route to the title.

“I went in with a mindset that I was going to out compete everybody,” Shelton said. “I was going to bring more energy than everyone I played. I think that was a really big part of my success this week.”

Tennis fans have been keeping an eye on the rising American star. This summer, Shelton earned his maiden Tour-level win at the ATP 250 event in Atlanta (d. Ramanathan). The following month, Shelton stunned then-World No. 5 Casper Ruud at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati and made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open. And Shelton’s game is only improving.

Ben Shelton at the 2022 Western & Southern Open. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour

“One piece [that has improved] is the return,” Shelton said. “If I played the final against Chris [Eubanks] in June, I don’t know how many returns I would’ve put in play. I think my defence has improved. I’m pretty good when I’m on offence but I was looking at some stats early in the summer and I was pretty poor in being able to win points when I got behind in the rally.

“I have a better understanding of how to use my serve and not just go after it hard every single time but mix it around, hitting some slow sliders from time to time.”

Shelton, who started the year as No. 573 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is now at a career-high 128. The American hopes to use his newfound mindset to continue imposing his will on opponents.

“It starts with the mentality of what you do in between the points,” Shelton said. “I’m not dwelling on every single point whether I win or lose. If I make a bad error, I can laugh it off… I’m just taking everything that I can get right now, enjoying everything that I have and not stressing too much.”

For the second time in four days, Brandon Nakashima and Jiri Lehecka will square off at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. In Saturday’s title match, the fourth-seeded Nakashima will bid to complete a perfect week by becoming an undefeated champion, while fifth seed Lehecka seeks revenge after a round-robin defeat against the American on Wednesday.

In a 4-1, 4-3(2), 4-2 victory, Nakashima used an attacking game plan — particularly off his powerful forehand wing — to defeat the Czech.

“He plays a very solid game, very flat, a very progressive game, so I knew I had to minimise the errors on my side and try to be aggressive off the first ball as much as possible,” Nakashima said after the mach. “I thought I did that pretty well today, so [I am] happy to get the win.”

Lehecka had his moments in the 68-minute match, firing 18 winners to Nakashima’s 21, and he led 2-0 in the final set before the American used a finishing flourish to close the door.

The aggressive nature of both players was further demonstrated by the rally lengths in the contest. 80 of the match’s 112 points lasted four shots or fewer, with Nakashima winning 45 of those short points to his opponent’s 35. The first-strike mentality also holds true on return for Nakashima and Lehecka, with 16 break points created between the two in their round-robin match.

While Nakashima can take confidence from the win in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting, the American is not putting too much stock in the result.

“Tomorrow it is going to be a new match. I am going to try and forget about our match a couple of days ago,” he said after a 4-3(6), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(5) semi-final win against Jack Draper. “Jiri has been playing great all week, so I am sure it is going to be a tough one.”

Lehecka spoiled the previously unblemished Milan record of Dominic Stricker in the Friday’s semi-finals. He will look to do the same to Nakashima in the title match to prevent the American from matching the 5-0 mark of past champions Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Hyeon Chung.

The Czech’s 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1 win against Stricker was reward for a strong all-court performance in which he stepped inside the baseline at every opportunity. 

“Today I think everything went the way I wanted,” Lehecka said post-match. “Me and my team spoke about this match yesterday and today and the plan was just to relax on the court and enjoy it as much as I can.”

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The Czech’s breakthrough run to the Rotterdam semi-finals as a qualifier in February should help him stay relaxed in the high-pressure final, and he also lifted an ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Liberec this season as he rose from No. 141 to No. 74 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

World No. 49 Nakashima has plenty of experience late in tournaments as well, having won his first ATP Tour title in his home city of San Diego in September — not to mention his semi-final run last year in Milan.

Adding to the pressure for both 21-year-olds: This will be their last chance to claim the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals trophy, as both will age out of the competition next year.

As the season’s best eight players gear up for the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals, the competitors spoke to the media and interacted with fans at Turin’s Gallerie d’Italia on Friday.

ATPTour.com goes behind-the-scenes to look at some of the fun ahead of the season finale, which begins Sunday.

Brandon Nakashima maintained his perfect record at this year’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Friday when he moved past Briton Jack Draper 4-3(6), 1-4, 4-2, 4-3(5) to reach the final in Milan.

The American went 3-0 in the round-robin stage and produced another ruthless performance at the Allianz Cloud to earn his 34th tour-level win of the season. The fourth seed fired his watertight backhand with fierce power, while he opened his shoulders to take large cuts on his forehand in a heavy-hitting clash that entertained the packed crowd.

“It was very high quality from both of us the whole match,” Nakashima said. “I was fighting for every point and I was happy to close it out at the end. We have both had a great year and both had great wins against top players. I knew it was going to be a tough match, he has a great lefty serve. I knew I had to be quick on my feet. I am happy I played well.”

The 21-year-old blasted 29 winners on the fast-paced court and rallied from 2-5 in the fourth-set tie-break, converting on his second match point to advance after one hour and 38 minutes. He will face Jiri Lehecka in the final after the Czech defeated Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1.

Nakashima is making his second appearance in Milan, having fallen at the semi-final stage last year. Earlier this week, the World No. 49 downed Matteo Arnaldi, Lehecka and Francesco Passaro to top the Green Group.

“I have a lot of confidence in my game right now,” Nakashima said. “Tomorrow it is going to be a new match. I am going to try and forget about our match a couple of days ago. Jiri has been playing great all week, so I am sure it is going to be a tough one.”

Nakashima has enjoyed an impressive season, highlighted by his maiden title run on home soil in San Diego in September. The 21-year-old also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Draper started the season at No. 265 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings but competed in Milan at No. 41 after a breakthrough year. The British lefty, who went 2-1 in the Red Group, defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the quarter-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal, while he won four ATP Challenger Tour crowns.

Jiri Lehecka earned the biggest win of his season Friday when he moved past Swiss lefty Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1 to reach the championship match at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

The 21-year-old, who went 2-1 during the round-robin stage, produced a stunning shotmaking display at the Allianz Cloud, timing his groundstrokes perfectly to pull Stricker around.

“Today I think everything went the way I wanted,” Lehecka said. “Me and my team spoke about this match yesterday and today and the plan was just to relax on the court and enjoy it as much as I can. Dominic was playing incredible here, so I am very happy with my win.”

The Czech fired 21 winners and stepped inside the baseline at every opportunity, closing the net effectively to efficiently win points throughout the 82-minute clash. With the in-match coaching rule in place, Lehecka was in frequent contact with Michal Navratil, who helped guide his charge to victory.

Lehecka will face third-seeded Briton Jack Draper or fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima in the final on Saturday evening. The fifth seed played Nakashima during the round-robin stage, falling in straight sets.

The Czech started the season at No. 141 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. However, he competes in Milan at No. 74 following a breakthrough year that saw him reach the semi-finals in Rotterdam and lift an ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Liberec.

Stricker has earned five Top 40 wins this season, including a victory against World No. 23 Lorenzo Musetti in Milan. The 20-year-old, who won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, soared through the Red Group, holding a perfect 3-0 record.

Casper Ruud knew he had his work cut out for him this season. After making his Nitto ATP Finals debut to cap a breakout 2021 campaign, he was prepared for an ever bigger challenge as he fought to solidify his place among the game’s elite.

The Norwegian delivered in a big way, surpassing even his own expectations as he comfortable booked a return trip to Turin. After finishing last season at No. 8 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, he rose as high as World No. 2 this year after winning three titles and reaching the final at Miami, Roland Garros and the US Open.

“People say sometimes that it can be tougher to stay in the Top 10 or Top 5 than to reach it [the first time] because now you have all these other players sort of chasing you and coming from behind and wanting to kick you out and replace you,” Ruud said on media day in Turin, speaking with ATP Media. “It’s a challenge, but I was able to do well enough to be here again this year and I’m very happy about that.”

While Rune enjoyed strong support from his player box last year in Italy — “I think every seat in the box was taken by family and my team,” he said — his entourage will include two new guests this year: his grandmothers.

“They don’t come to too much,” Ruud said of the VIPs. “Sometimes they are a little bit frustrated with me that I don’t invite them too often. They are great, but as all grandmothers, they can maybe be a bit too much at times,” he added with a smile. “But of course I love them and it’s nice for them to be here for the first time.”

With his caring family in tow, the 2021 Turin semi-finalist has enjoyed being back in familiar surroundings at the Pala Alpitour, where each player has the luxury of his own locker room with their picture on the door and adorning the walls inside. Unlike last year, Ruud sealed his qualification for Turin with time to spare thanks to his stellar season.

“It’s much more comfortable knowing that you’re qualified for some time. Last year it was so stressful,” he said, reflecting on the down-to-the-wire race between himself, Hubert Hurkacz, Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie. In the end, all four competed in Turin — Ruud and Hurkacz as direct qualifiers, Sinner and Norrie as alternates. But the experience left Ruud hungry to sew up his place early this year, and the Norwegian succeeded in that quest, clinching qualification in late September with a win in Seoul.

“You think about it when you start the year,” he said of the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. “The first match of the year, you’re thinking, ‘I want to have a good year’, because you know that in November there will be the Nitto ATP Finals, and you hope you can reach it. To be able to do it again this year, for a second time, is very special.

“I knew that this year was going to be an important and challenging one for me because the first time you reach the Top 10, or the fist year you reach this tournament, you know that the next year you will have to defend everything that you have done.”

After a gruelling season in which he played 22 tournaments and recorded 48 wins, will Ruud have enough left in the tank to make a deep run in Turin?

“Let’s see. I do hope so,” said the 23-year-old. “It’s going to be a tough one. You’re sort of trying to trick yourself that it’s not the last one.

“This is such a great place, great city to play in. The Italian fans are so passionate that you will feel the energy from the moment you step on court, which hopefully can lift you a little bit, no mater who you are or who you are playing… They really know what they’re doing here in Italy when it comes to the sport of tennis and that’s a great feeling for us.”