Some players run into a wall they just can’t climb! Nikolay Davydenko went 2-19 against Roger Federer, losing four straight times at Grand Slams. David Ferrer, despite being one of the most consistent players of his era, had no answer for Rafael Nadal (6-26). Todd Martin struggled on the biggest stages against Pete Sampras. For Ben Shelton it was against Lorenzo Musetti but American buried the ghost with a win in the Australian Open third round, where he won in four sets. Reflecting on his past losses to Musetti, Shelton jokingly said, “On tour, if someone beats you three times in a row… they’re your daddy.” And it turns into a lively debate among former ATP pros on the Nothing Major podcast. Turns out, even they have their own “daddies” on tour.

For Jack Sock, the answer was obvious. “A lot of people… I think I lost to Rafa three or four times. I will give him Daddy status.” John Isner, known for his booming serve, found himself powerless against an unexpected foe. “I got a good one. Jeremy Chardy. I am 0-5 against Chardy, and I can’t beat the guy. I had match points and all, but I can’t defeat the guy.”

Steve Johnson recalled his frustration against a relentless baseliner. “We have spoken about it on a podcast. It is Roberto Bautista Agut, as I am looking it up. 7-0 in a five-year span. One match, I had the match point. Other than that, pretty much packed my bags.”. For Sam Querrey, the struggle came early in his career. “Mine earlier on was Adrian Mannarino. 0-5 against him. Couldn’t figure out early on in my career.”

Ben Shelton’s lighthearted joke after beating Lorenzo Musetti came back to haunt him after his semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner! The American has now lost five straight matches to Sinner. Shelton was the one who won the first match between them in October 2023 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, but now it feels like a distant memory now. Since that victory, it’s been all downhill!!

Sinner has now won their last five encounters, including a 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 drubbing at the 2025 Australian Open, and straight-set wins at Wimbledon and Indian Wells in 2024. The gulf between them seems to have widened, despite Shelton’s potential and fiery game.

Shelton had a strong run at the Australian Open, reaching his first semifinal down under, but the title remains just out of reach. Against Jannik Sinner, he showed flashes of brilliance—booming serves, electric shot-making—but struggled to counter the Italian’s relentless consistency. So, how does he tilt this tie?

Mats Wilander sees room for improvement in Ben Shelton

Former World No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander, who has won 33 career titles has put faith in Ben Shelton and believes Shelton has all the tools to be a major force in men’s tennis, but he should refine his game now..

Speaking on the KickServeRadio.com podcast, Wilander praised Shelton’s natural ability and his competitiveness. “He’s viewed as an extremely dangerous player with a lot of talent not just in his hands but also physically. He tries really hard all the time and seems to embrace the moment, so he’s a great competitor as well,” he said.

Shelton has already proven he can win, but Wilander put emphasis on the next step for America, and that the next step is evolving his shot selection and adding variety. “Because he’s won already, he knows how to get it done and he believes in himself. I think he’s calmed down a bit in his shot selection. Now is the time when you add stuff. Ok, what we gonna do, we’re gonna hit forehands and backhands but we’re also gonna hit slice backhands and we’re gonna serve and volley.”

Will Shelton’s game reach the next level? Can he add the variety needed to challenge the best? History suggests he’s improving, but can he take that final step? We’ll find out next at the Dallas Open.