Shelton hits form before Wimbledon with grass court title
Ben Shelton has hit form at just the right time, picking up his first grass-court title at the Boss Open in Stuttgart ahead of Wimbledon.
Top-seeded Shelton used the ATP 250 event as a warm-up for the upcoming Grand Slam, and it turned into an ideal tune-up.
The win puts Shelton in good spirits heading into Wimbledon, where he’s considering a mixed doubles pairing with an American WTA player.
Ben Shelton hints at mixed doubles partnership with McCartney Kessler for Wimbledon
Shelton marked the occasion on Instagram, using the number six hashtag and a trophy emoji to signify his sixth ATP title. The post caught the attention of several players, including WTA’s McCartney Kessler, who left an interesting comment.
She wrote: “It was always mixed doubles for training.”
Shelton replied: “Run it back in London?”
Kessler then responded with the eyes emoji, and their exchange suggested that they might be planning to pair up on court at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, fellow American Iva Jovic chimed in with: “Let’s go,” while Canada’s Victoria Mboko dropped a goat emoji under the post.
How has McCartney Kessler performed on the WTA Tour?
Kessler is ranked 44th in the world, following her singles and doubles performances at Queen’s, and now has her attention turned to Nottingham.
She’s captured three WTA singles titles and reached a career-high ranking of 30. In doubles, she has one title to her name, with a peak ranking of 47.
Shelton also featured in mixed doubles at the 2025 US Open, an event that saw several top singles players participating under a new format.
He partnered with fellow American Taylor Townsend, but their run ended in the quarterfinals against Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison.
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