Ben Shelton’s return to competitive tennis after the US Open hit another snag in Madrid, where he fell in straight sets to qualifier Dino Prizmic in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open. The American, who withdrew from the Japan Open earlier in the month due to ongoing injury concerns, lost 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) in a match that highlighted his continued struggles with consistency upon return from layoff.
The result confirms Shelton’s recent drop outside the ATP top 20, a development first noted in mid-October following his withdrawal from the Japan Open. Shelton had retired from his third-round match at the US Open against Adrian Mannarino due to injury and has since pulled out of three tournaments as he works to regain full fitness.
Prizmic, ranked outside the top 150, earned his place in the main draw through qualifying and capitalized on Shelton’s uncharacteristic errors, particularly on the return of serve. The Croatian broke Shelton twice in the opening set to take an early lead and held firm despite Shelton forcing a tiebreak in the second set after saving two set points at 4-5.
The deciding set saw both players hold serve until 5-5, when Shelton had two break points to go up a break and serve for the match. He failed to convert either, and Prizpic broke back immediately to level at 5-5. After exchanging holds to 6-6, Prizmic won the final tiebreak 7-5 to seal the victory in two hours and 45 minutes.
The loss adds to Shelton’s challenging autumn swing, which began with his abrupt exit from Flushing Meadows and has included missed events in Tokyo and Beijing. His withdrawal from the Japan Open was attributed to the same issue that caused his US Open retirement, though no official diagnosis has been released by his team or the ATP.
Shelton’s struggles on return have been a recurring theme in his recent matches, with opponents targeting his positioning and timing when not stepping into the court. His inability to neutralize second serves has been particularly costly, as seen in Madrid where Prizmic won 58% of points behind his second delivery.
For Prizmic, the win marks one of the most significant of his career, defeating a former top-10 player and US Open semifinalist on the red clay of Madrid. The qualifier will now face either Lorenzo Musetti or a lucky loser in the second round, depending on the outcome of the other match.
The result raises questions about Shelton’s readiness for the remainder of the European clay swing, including the upcoming Italian Open in Rome. With limited match play since the US Open and ongoing physical concerns, his schedule and preparation will be closely monitored by fans and analysts alike.
Shelton is expected to reassess his condition ahead of Rome, where he has traditionally performed well, reaching the quarterfinals in 2023. His next confirmed checkpoint is the draw release for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, scheduled for early May.
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