{"id":2093069,"date":"2026-08-14T09:09:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T06:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2093069"},"modified":"2026-08-14T09:09:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T06:09:27","slug":"ben-shelton-fires-warning-to-jannik-sinner-and-carlos-alcaraz-after-canadian-open-title-defence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2093069","title":{"rendered":"Ben Shelton fires warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after Canadian Open title defence"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Ben Shelton fires warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after Canadian Open title defence<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/richie-mills\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Richie Mills                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"14 Aug 2026 10:09 AM\" data-ps-date=\"14 Aug 2026 10:09 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1786698567\"><br \/>\n                            14 Aug 2026 10:09 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on 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<\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Ben Shelton fires warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after Canadian Open title defence\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Shelton-Alcaraz-Sinner-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Ben Shelton celebrates winning the Canadian Open, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (inset)\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Ben Shelton is trying to chase Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Ben Shelton says he \u201cloves\u201d the chase of trying to catch up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Jannik Sinner<\/a> and Carlos Alcaraz after defending his Canadian Open title.<\/p>\n<p>After storming to his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto last year, the 23-year-old was in irresistible form to claim the crown in Montreal by beating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The American became the fourth man this century to successfully defend the Canada title after Andy Murray (2009-10), Novak Djokovic (2011-12), and Rafael Nadal (2018-19).<\/p>\n<p>What made this victory all the more impressive is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/ben-shelton\">Shelton<\/a> didn\u2019t drop a set, off the back of a disappointing couple of months where he suffered early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon.<\/p>\n<p>The left-hander is now back up to sixth in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/atp-tour\">ATP Tour<\/a> rankings and has leapfrogged compatriot Taylor Fritz as the American No 1.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>More ATP Tour News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/goran-ivanisevic-most-complete-player-rafael-nadal-roger-federer-novak-djokovic\">Goran Ivanisevic picks the \u2018most complete\u2019 player out of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/tennis-chiefs-got-it-wrong-rule-change-schedule\">Tennis chiefs need to make a big rule change as pressure mounts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While Shelton won this tournament for the second time without having to face any of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Sinner<\/a>, Alcaraz, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Novak Djokovic<\/a>, the big-server wants to reach that level.<\/p>\n<p>When asked how much confidence does this title win give him to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, he replied, \u201cYeah. I think it\u2019s a constant process for me. I love having people out in front of me that I can chase.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been that way my whole career. I\u2019ve never just been the best. I\u2019ve always been chasing the best. Been a little bit behind, you could say, in my progression, and I think that\u2019s pushed me in every aspect of my tennis game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd, you know, I\u2019ll continue to work, to chase the guys that are in front of me. Obviously try to stay ahead of these young guys that are coming out on tour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI played a lot of young guys this week. The future of the sport, really, really high-quality players, and they\u2019re not stopping. There\u2019s so many more that are coming up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo I think that tennis is a game that you gotta keep improving or you get passed up, you get left in the dust. And so my job with the gifts that I have is to try to maximize, do as much as I can in the sport, become the best version of myself, and that\u2019s where my focus lies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shelton will be one of the favourites to win the Cincinnati Masters as Sinner and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Alcaraz<\/a> are both out with knee and wrist injuries, respectively. As he prepares for that final US Open warm-up event, the American is feeling very confident about his game.<\/p>\n<p>Shelton has always had one of the best serves on the tour but his break rate was outside the top 50. But in Montreal, he turned that on his head and broke seemingly at will.<\/p>\n<p>He added, \u201cFor me this week was a massive stepping stone, I would say even more than what I did in Toronto last year because the way that I did it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought I was much more clinical, more focused. I was an elite returner at times. But the way that I was able to break serve, the fashion in which I did it, my ability to play defence and offense, I\u2019m excited with the way that I\u2019m progressing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout this season on the hardcourts I felt that each tournament I\u2019ve gotten better and better. And obviously we\u2019re still early in this US Open swing and have a lot of hard court tennis to play through the rest of the year. So I\u2019m just really looking forward to see what kind of damage I can do moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/havent-blamed-f-balls-ex-world-no-1-slams-alexander-zverev-canadian-open-excuse\">\u2018Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic would never use Zverev \u201cexcuse\u201d after Canadian Open exit\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ben Shelton fires warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after Canadian Open title defence Richie Mills 14 Aug 2026 10:09 AM Ben Shelton is trying to chase Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Ben Shelton says he \u201cloves\u201d the chase of trying to catch up to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after defending his Canadian [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2093069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2093069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2093069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2093069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2093069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2093069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2093069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}