Ben Shelton, the 22-year-old American tennis sensation, etched his name into the history books by clinching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2025 Canadian Open in Toronto, a victory that propelled him to a career-high world No. 6 ranking. The hard-fought 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the final on August 7 capped a stellar week for the left-hander, who toppled top players like Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz en route to the title. But behind the scenes, a key piece of advice from Jesse Levine, former coach of Madison Keys, proved instrumental in Shelton’s breakthrough. Shared through a conversation with Shelton’s father and coach, Bryan Shelton, Levine’s tactical insight about the young star’s signature lefty serve helped turn the tide in Toronto, showcasing the power of collaboration in tennis’s high-stakes arena.
Shelton’s path to the Canadian Open crown was anything but straightforward. With top seeds Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic withdrawing, the draw opened up, and Shelton seized the moment. He opened with a 6-2, 6-3 rout of Adrian Mannarino, followed by grueling three-set battles against Brandon Nakashima (6-7, 6-2, 7-6) and Flavio Cobolli. In the quarterfinals, he dispatched world No. 8 Alex de Minaur in straight sets, before dominating No. 4 Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American semifinal. The final against Khachanov, a seasoned baseliner with a punishing forehand, tested Shelton’s resilience. “Karen was bullying me around the court,” Shelton admitted, describing the Russian’s relentless groundstrokes that pinned him behind the baseline. “The way he was cutting off the court, the way he was serving, it felt like I had a freight train coming at me.”
Enter Jesse Levine, a former ATP player and Keys’ ex-coach, whose keen eye during commentary duties sparked a game-changing suggestion. Speaking with Bryan Shelton during the tournament, Levine offered a nuanced tweak to Ben’s wide serve, a weapon known for its blistering pace. “I said to Bryan, ‘Look, I think he is serving unreal, but on the lefty slider out wide, I feel he is hitting it too hard,’” Levine recalled. “I said if he takes 10 or 15mph off that serve, it will slide away, and he will not be able to touch it.” The advice was simple yet profound: by reducing the speed, Shelton could enhance the serve’s spin and placement, making it tougher for opponents like de Minaur to counter. After his semifinal win over Fritz, Shelton playfully acknowledged the tip during an on-court interview with Levine. “See that? I took 10mph off that slider out wide!” he quipped, confirming that Bryan had relayed the advice. “That’s pretty cool!” Levine responded, delighted by the impact.
The adjustment proved pivotal in the final. Despite dropping the first set in a tiebreak, Shelton rallied, leaning on his father’s broader strategic guidance to move forward and dictate play. “I started being able to redirect, get some big shots off of my own, and kind of flip the momentum,” he said, crediting Bryan’s advice to counter Khachanov’s aggression. Shelton’s serve, bolstered by Levine’s tweak, shone brightest in the third-set tiebreak, where he won 14 consecutive points on serve to seal the match after two hours and 47 minutes. His 16 aces and 38 winners underscored a performance that blended power with newfound precision.
Shelton’s triumph, the first by an American at the Canadian Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, drew praise from tennis luminaries like Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, and Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs, who called it “so deserved.” The victory, worth $1,124,380 in prize money, also boosted Shelton’s Nitto ATP Finals chances, placing him fourth in the live race to Turin. As he heads to the Cincinnati Open, where he faces Roberto Bautista Agut, Shelton carries the confidence of a champion and a lesson in adaptability, courtesy of Levine’s sharp insight and a father-son coaching bond that continues to elevate his game.
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