Ben Shelton, seeded No. 6, retired from the US Open 2025 due to a painful left shoulder injury against Adrian Mannarino. The 22-year-old American had never quit in 178 professional matches before Friday.
Shelton acrobatically won the third set but hurt his shoulder while lunging for a ball. He threw his left arm up to celebrate but soon felt severe pain. Speaking later, Shelton admitted he could not identify the exact cause.
“Usually, I’ll play through anything and just kind of find a way,” he said. “And whether it’s sickness or injury, like, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I never felt anything like this before.”
During the fourth set, Shelton said to his coach’s box, “I did something to my shoulder. I don’t know what it is.” Trainers treated him courtside, applying cream to his left shoulder. He attempted serve-and-volley tactics to shorten points but lost the set.
Mannarino Earns Breakthrough Win
Mannarino then earned his first career win over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam. “When he started to have pain, he was leading in the match,” Mannarino said. “Honestly, he would have probably won that match.”
Shelton entered the US Open with strong momentum after winning the Toronto title and beating Mannarino earlier. “I was playing really well. I was in form, a lot of confidence,” Shelton said. “Just so many things to be happy with the way that I was playing, moving on the court, competing.”
American Hopes Now Rest on Fritz and Paul
His exit is a huge blow to American hopes. The U.S. has not celebrated a men’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick in 2003. Frances Tiafoe, seeded No. 17, also fell on Friday in straight sets to German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
“It’s going to be hard to swallow how I played today and being out of the US Open, for sure, this early,” Tiafoe said.
Now, only Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul remain for the American men at the US Open 2025.
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