Beyond his athleticism, Ben Shelton has become a crowd favorite for his quick wit and humor. For instance, after beating Lorenzo Sonego at the Australian Open in January 2025, he joked about the crowd’s support. Fans were “welcome to boo or even ‘throw stuff’ at him.” The line drew laughs and eased the tension. In October 2023, during a heated line call, Shelton lightened the moment with the umpire, saying he had the “worst eyes on tour.” His humor always finds a way in, even when the stakes are high.

On Sunday, Ben lost his shot at a clay title after Alexander Zverev swept him aside in Munich, 6-2, 6-4, to claim his first trophy of the year on home soil. Both had survived close calls earlier in the week. Shelton saved three match points in his debut against Borna Gojo. But Zverev’s clay-court prowess was too much.

However, Shelton’s response at the trophy ceremony stole the show. As he approached the mic, he fiddled with the stand, trying to lower it. He grinned and quipped, “I guess all you guys are taller than me, huh?” The crowd laughed. At 1.93 meters, Shelton isn’t short, but the mic was still a stretch. His opponent, Zverev, stands even taller at 1.98 meters!

But the American didn’t dwell on that. He shifted focus to the moment. “First I want to thank God. I feel blessed to play in front of you guys on Easter Sunday. It’s really special for me. I want to congratulate Sascha. Home tournament. Big to get a win here. It’s your birthday too. I didn’t know that. Happy Birthday,” Shelton said, his charm and sportsmanship on full display.

Shelton’s graciousness truly stood out. Zverev had battled back from tough losses, following a painful defeat to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open and slipping to No. 3 in the rankings behind Carlos Alcaraz. With a smile, Shelton added, “I would’ve said like, this is a birthday gift, but I had no clue 😂. I was trying as hard as I could to return those serves today, but I couldn’t get it done.” Classic Ben—humorous, even in defeat.

The match started rough for Shelton. A double fault at deuce handed Zverev an early break. Zverev’s serve was rock-solid. Another double fault from Shelton at 15-40 sealed the first set. The second set followed the same script—Zverev broke early, and Shelton never found his rhythm.

After the match, Shelton kept it classy. He congratulated Zverev and his team for their first title of the season. He praised Zverev’s form and wished him luck for the rest of the clay season. But this is just one of Shelton’s humorous moments from this tournament!

Shelton calls out his own shot with a twist of humor

Ben Shelton pulled off a thrilling comeback on Saturday, defeating Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 to reach the final of the ATP 500 event in Munich. With this gritty win, Shelton not only secured his fourth ATP Tour final and second on clay, but he also made history as the first American to reach a clay-court final above the ATP 250 level since Andre Agassi’s run in Rome back in 2002. That’s a 23-year drought snapped—Shelton was actually born five months after Agassi’s triumph!

After the match, Shelton was all smiles and energy. “It’s a big win for me. To get a win on clay against a guy like that gives me a lot of confidence, and to be in an [ATP] 500 final over here in Europe, I’m really happy. I’ve been playing well here, I love the energy here in Munich, and I’m going to go for that title tomorrow,” he told the crowd, clearly soaking up the moment. The match had its share of wild moments, including a nervy second set where Shelton hit a shaky drop shot—one he later joked about online, calling it “the worst dropper hit in a professional match, I’d say. Any level 😂.”

Shelton’s journey to the final has been full of fight. Earlier in the week, he survived a nail-biter against Borna Gojo, saving three match points. In the quarters, he breezed past Luciano Darderi in just 73 minutes, reflecting afterward, “I feel pretty good moving around, sliding, getting into drop shots, defending, playing offensively. I was kind of like a deer on ice a couple of years ago, but I have evolved a lot. I am not the player I want to be yet but I am working towards it for sure.”

Whether or not he takes the title, Ben’s run is already one for the books. With Roland Garros just around the corner, who knows? Maybe the 22-year-old will serve up more surprises—and more witty one-liners—on the Paris clay.