A disappointed Ben Shelton, forced to withdraw from his third round US Open match against Adrian Mannarino Friday, does not shed much light on the injury he said he started to feel early in the fourth set.
“Usually I will go through everything and just find a way,” said Shelton, who retired when Mannarino all brought the game on two sets. “And whether it is illness or injury, if I can stay there, I can stay there. I have never felt anything like that, so that was quite difficult, I think the uncertainty.”
What was clear was the amount of pain in which the sixth seed was. The great serving Lefty resorted to cut his forehand occasionally and when the home favorite tried to hit a top spin-for-hand, he visibly shivered.
“Really high,” Shelton said about the level of pain he has experienced. “I have never retired. I am not a man who would retire if I could continue.”
The 22-year-old made it clear that he did not enter the game with an injury and that he could not find out when he hurt himself. Shelton received several visits from the physiotherapist in the hope of alleviating the pain. They did not discuss potential long -term effects on his shoulder, which is “clearly complex,” he said.
“I just tried to adjust and find out what I can to continue to compete,” said Shelton. “Although I was in pain, I was just in that competitive mentality to find a way and push it through, so it wasn’t really a thought in my mind.”
Shelton led the competition two sets to one and wore a lot of momentum after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto. During a career-high no. 6 in the PIF ATP ranking, the semi-finalist of 2023 played just as well and always to his injury to the last major of the season.
“I have a lot to be grateful for. I have been pretty happy with my life; blessings, talents, many things that God gave me,” said Shelton. “A small setback like this, yes, it hurts. I played really well, I was in shape, a lot of confidence. Just so many things to be happy with the way I played, moving on the field, competing.
“But as I said, it was a great summer, many things to be grateful for. You won’t hear me pouting here about how bad things are with the summer I have had, the things I have been able to do in this sport in a short time and the people I have around me. As I said, many blessings.”
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