Ben Shelton Rockets Into Wimbledon Semifinals: 155-mph Serve and Viral Celebration Ignite Tennis Fans

Rising American star Ben Shelton has powered into the quarter-finals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, dismantling Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 6-3, 6-2 in just 61 minutes to book an all-American showdown with Frances Tiafoe later today. Shelton’s serve once again set the tone. He landed 72 percent of first deliveries, ripped 11 aces and never faced a break point, extending a summer hard-court run that already includes a Wimbledon quarter-final earlier this month. After the quick win he acknowledged a new pre-match ritual: a 15-minute soak in a 104-degree hot tub designed to loosen muscles before the Washington heat hits the court. The 22-year-old left-hander has enjoyed a meteoric rise since turning pro two seasons ago. Starting 2025 ranked No. 17, he cracked the ATP Top 10 after a clay-court final in Munich and now sits at a career-high No. 9 with more than $7 million in prize money. Coach and father Bryan Shelton credits the former Florida Gator’s college-honed competitiveness for his seamless transition to the tour’s weekly grind. Match breakdown • Aces / Double faults: 11 / 2 • First-serve points won: 86 % • Winners / Unforced errors: 28 / 12 • Break points converted: 3-for-6 Shelton pressured Diallo’s second serve from the opening game, stepping inside the baseline to redirect returns and shorten rallies. “I like to play on the front foot,” he said courtside. “If I can make guys uncomfortable early, I trust my legs and my serve to finish the job.” Road to Washington Shelton opened his DC campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Mackenzie McDonald, firing the tournament’s fastest serve so far at 146 mph. His path now toughens: local favorite Tiafoe leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head 2-1, though Shelton claimed their most recent meeting in Shanghai last fall. The winner could face top seed Andrey Rublev in the semifinals. 2025 season highlights • Munich finalist (l. to Zverev) • Wimbledon quarter-finalist (l. to Alcaraz) • Fourth-round appearances at Australian Open and Roland-Garros • Career-best 42-13 win-loss record Why Shelton is trending 1. Big-match charisma: phone-hand celebration and 130-plus-mph second serves make for viral clips. 2. American men’s revival: with Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda and Tiafoe, Shelton fronts the strongest U.S. cohort since the early 2000s. 3. College-to-pro blueprint: his success validates the NCAA pathway at a time when more juniors debate skipping college. What’s next? Shelton enters the North American hard-court swing aiming for a first ATP 500 title and valuable momentum heading to the US Open, where he thrilled crowds with a semifinal run last year. Fitness coach Daniel Snape says the team’s data shows a 5 percent jump in average forehand speed since implementing off-court football drills—evidence that his athletic ceiling remains far from reached. Fans can catch tonight’s primetime quarter-final on Tennis Channel (7 p.m. ET) and follow live stats across ATP Tour digital platforms. Should Shelton surge past Tiafoe and lift the trophy in Washington, he would rise to a projected No. 7—matching Andy Roddick’s 2003 ranking ahead of his breakthrough US Open triumph. For American tennis faithful, the hype around Ben Shelton is no longer potential; it’s present tense, and it’s getting louder with every thunderous left-arm delivery.