2024 was Ben Shelton’s breakthrough season on clay, as he grabbed his first ATP title on the surface at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships, toppling Frances Tiafoe in the final. That win was a huge milestone for the lefty, considering the fact that he had a losing record on clay in his first full season as a pro in 2023. “The clay is really starting to grow on me,” Shelton said after winning the ATP Houston in 2024. This year, he didn’t take part in the event to defend his title, but how’s he feeling now as the season moves to the European red soil?

Ben Shelton’s early pro days were electric. After turning pro in June 2022, he debuted at the Atlanta Open and notched his first tour-level win against Ramkumar Ramanathan. His lefty serve, clocking up to 150 mph, and aggressive baseline play made waves instantly. And as his career progresses, he is now starting to find consistency as well.

On Friday, Shelton down Luciano Darderi in an hour and 14 minutes in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to reach the BMW Open semifinals in Munich. He showed his growing prowess and was clearly impressed with his own progress after finding clay “challenging” for years. “Not going to lie, I feel pretty good – moving around, sliding, getting the drop shots, defending, playing offensive. I was kind of like a deer on ice a couple years ago,” the 22-year-old told Tennis TV post-match.

“So, I’ve evolved, for sure, and yeah, I just keep trying to get better with every match and every day. I’m not the player I want to be yet, but I’m working towards it for sure,” he further added.

After making his pro debut, Shelton didn’t take long to impress. In August 2022, as a wildcard at the Cincinnati Masters, he powered into the third round, even taking down World No. 5 Casper Ruud. That run made it clear Shelton was loaded with raw talent and potential. Now ranked No. 15, the heavy-hitting lefty has firmly established himself as a top-20 force and already boasts two Grand Slam semifinals. But most of his big moments have come on hard courts—he’s still figuring out the art of European clay.

As he heads deeper into the Munich event, he’s closing in on his first title of the season. But how does Shelton really feel about Clay?

Ben shares his thoughts on how “weird” clay courts are

After his first-round win in Munich, Shelton told reporters, “I think this is the type of tough win that can propel your season, or propel your clay-court swing. Weird things happen on clay. It’s not always straightforward. I’m learning more and more every day how to play, how to move. I’m just happy with the progression.”

His Munich opener was a wild ride. Shelton faced Croatia’s Borna Gojo and had to dig deep, saving three match points—two in the second-set tiebreak and another at 5-6, 30-40 in the final set. After two hours and 25 minutes of grind, he finally prevailed 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(3). “Obviously being down match points is never easy, and to come through was a little bit lucky but I’m happy with the way I closed it out,” he admitted after the match.

Now, Shelton is in the semifinals after impressive wins over Botic van de Zandschulp and Luciano Darderi. Next up: Francisco Cerundolo, whom he leads 1-0 in their head-to-head after last year’s Indian Wells clash. Can Shelton keep the momentum rolling and punch his ticket to his first final of the season? Share your thoughts in the comments below.