Ben Shelton beats Aslan Karatsev to lift first ATP title 

American Ben Shelton won his first ATP Tour title on Sunday, defeating Russian Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 at the Japan Open in Tokyo.

“That meant a lot to me and my team,” Shelton said. “We have been working really hard since the beginning to build my game and win titles on the ATP Tour. I made some deep runs lately. You see the great champions, they finish weeks off. They win titles, they don’t just get to finals. They are able to maintain their level throughout the week. I am not saying I am anywhere there yet, but to be able to do it for one week, put together five matches in a row in Tokyo is really special.”

The American is the sixth first-time tour-level winner of the season and the first player since Lorenzo Musetti in Hamburg in 2022 to win their maiden ATP Tour title at a 500 event. He will rise to a career-high No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday, having started the season at No. 96.

“I am really looking forward to this tail-end stretch of the year,” said Shelton, who is third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah. “I think it is a great opportunity for me. Earlier in the season I was losing early in weeks, so my match count is not that high, so I am feeling fresh. I am looking forward to finishing the season strong.”

Shelton played with freedom against Karatsev in his maiden tour-level title match. The 21-year-old struck 18 winners and caused Karatsev problems with his swinging lefty serve, winning 80 per cent (32/40) of points behind his first delivery.

He now leads Karatsev 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, while he is the second consecutive American to triumph in Tokyo after Taylor Fritz won the crown in 2022.