Ben Shelton booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Washington Open after coming from behind to beat Ugo Humbert.
After losing an opening-set tiebreak to the Frenchman, Shelton fought back to win 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 and advance at the ATP 500 tournament.
The American is in pursuit of capturing a fourth tour-level title in 2026 and his seventh overall, having already clinched crowns in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart this year.
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Seeded second at the Washington Open, Shelton will take on Alejandro Tabilo for a place in the semifinals.
Ben Shelton discusses playing left-handers in Washington
Shelton, a lefty himself, will play a left-handed player for the third time at the Washington Open when he faces Tabilo, following his clashes with Martin Damm Jr and Humbert.
“Yeah, it’s actually worked out well for me,” said Shelton when asked in his on-court interview what it is like to play three such players in a row.
“One of my good friends and college teammates, Abdullah Shelbayh, has been here for the week, and we’ve been practicing together, training together.
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Shelbayh, also a left-hander, played alongside Shelton at the University of Florida.
“So for me, I don’t mind having another lefty, a little bit of continuity, but yeah, it is strange for sure,” concluded Shelton.
Ben Shelton reacts to his win over Ugo Humbert in Washington
Shelton said of his win: “[I’m] addicted to stuff like this, you know, playing in these atmospheres, these type of matches.
“I thought it was a great level that we played at tonight, so to be a part of it was a lot of fun. Even better to come out with a win and get another chance to play here in DC on a Friday night. One of the best atmospheres in tennis, 100%, and grateful to be here.”
Asked how difficult it was to come back from a set down, Shelton replied: “No, I mean, I’ve been in these situations a lot.
“Sometimes it’s just one point, one moment, one opening that can kind of change things for me. Obviously, I had a 15-40 to break in the first set that I didn’t get.
“And so I knew that the chances were coming as long as I took care of my serve. So the more difficult part was definitely breaking multiple times in the third after getting broken back.
“But sometimes these things happen, and I’m happy with the way I problem-solved tonight.”
Shelton has tallied a win-loss record of 27-11 so far in 2026 and is currently ranked eighth in the world.
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