American Ben Shelton defeated fellow American and defending champion Taylor Fritz 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Stuttgart Open, securing his first career title on grass in a hard-fought final in Germany.
The 23-year-old world No. 5 was tested throughout the match, relying heavily on his serve and saving nine of 11 break points he faced to withstand sustained pressure from Fritz.
The victory marked Shelton’s sixth ATP Tour title and his third of the 2026 season, following earlier triumphs in Dallas and Munich as he continues a breakout year on the men’s circuit.
“It means a lot to me,” Shelton said. “Certainly a difficult week, not an easy week to get through. I’m pretty exhausted, but to play the way I did against the quality of opponents I played in very tight matches and getting a win today against one of the best grass-court players in the world is a huge boost.”
Shelton is now one of only two players to win three titles this season, alongside world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, underscoring his rapid rise among the sport’s elite as the grass-court season continues.
