TORONTO, ON – AUGUST 07: Ben Shelton (USA) lifts the championship trophy after winning the Final match at ATP National Bank Open on August 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, ON, Canada (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ben Shelton won his first ATP Masters 1000 title Thursday night at the National Bank Open in Toronto and served notice to the tennis world ahead of the U.S. Open.

The 22-year-old American rebounded from a difficult first-set loss to eliminate Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) to capture the title. Shelton had dominated top-ranked American and world No. 4 Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the semifinals, and also beat world No. 9 Alex de Minaur in straights in the quarters.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Shelton said. “It’s been a long week, not an easy path to the final. My best tennis came out when it mattered most. I was clutch, I persevered, I was resilient. All the qualities I like to see in myself.”

Shelton has been John McEnroe’s top pick to win a major for the American men, and if that happens it likely will be on a hardcourt. The big-serving left-hander from Atlanta reached the semifinals of the Australian Open this year, and of the U.S. Open in 2023.

“We got to get some American men to win some majors, and that would make it, to me, much more interesting” McEnroe said earlier this summer. “We never had that problem with the women, but we certainly have it with the men, and I think that’s been a real problem for us.”

Much will depend on the draw at the U.S. Open, of course. If Shelton can avoid having to play both Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner, it would improve his chances of going deep again.

Shelton has surged to a career-high World No. 6 and become the youngest American ATP Masters 1000 champion in two decades.

Shelton becomes the youngest American ATP Masters 1000 champion since 21-year-old Andy Roddick won the 2004 Miami title. He also surged to fourth in the ATP Live Race to Turin, boosting his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals from November 9-16

He collected his third title, adding to triumphs in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston in 2024.

Now he will look ahead to the Cincinnati Open, where he opens on Saturday, and then the U.S. Open beginning Aug 24.