Ben Shelton has lost to Jannik Sinner in their last eight meetings, but the American eighth seed believes his game has improved enough to give him a chance to upset the Australian Open defending champion in Wednesday's quarterfinal clash.
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Shelton beat Norwegian 12th seed Casper Ruud in the fourth round on Monday to set up his first match with Sinner since a straight-sets loss to the Italian second seed at the ATP Finals in November.
"I think my return game has improved a lot. A year ago today I wasn't comfortable hitting a forehand return. I didn't put a lot in play. I had to go to the chip a lot to put it in play," Shelton told reporters.
"And now I'm getting to a point in the match where I feel like I'm (in) lockdown mode, and I can't miss one. I think that that is a piece that really helps me, because you got to play offensive tennis to beat the best guys."
The 23-year-old was eliminated by Sinner from the Australian Open semifinals last year. He also lost to Sinner at Wimbledon for two years straight.
However, Shelton said he felt confident in his net play and decision-making ahead of his 10th meeting with Sinner, with the American looking for his first win over the four-time Grand Slam winner since their first match in 2023.
"I think my game is a lot different. I think the way that I'm executing, one, at the net is going to be a huge advantage to me. I think the way that I'm mixing things up from the baseline is a lot different than a year ago," Shelton said.
"For the most part, since I've been here, I've never hit my forehand this good. I feel like I have great control. I feel like I'm hitting it bigger than I've ever hit it."
Ben Shelton after beating Casper Ruud at Australian Open
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 26, 2026
“I know you guys were probably looking forward to watching Novak tonight, I actually heard it from the stands. But I hope we didn’t disappoint with that match. I really appreciate you staying late” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NbHUbarA5Z