Shelton Downs Fritz In All-American Dallas Open Final

Ben Shelton, Dallas Open
Ben Shelton (photo: Tony Fay/Nexus Dallas Open)

FRISCO, TEX./WASHINGTON, February 16, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

When World No. 7 Taylor Fritz faced World No. 9 Ben Shelton in this year’s ATP 500 Nexo Dallas Open championship match Sunday, it marked the first time two Top-10 players had contested the final of this event since 2002, when it was held in San Jose, Calif., as No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt defeated No. 5 Andre Agassi. 

Fast forward 24 years and, this time, in a battle of big-serving Americans playing indoors in the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, it was the 23-year-old Shelton who prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 51 minutes, after saving three championship points.

Although he was outpointed by Fritz 83-79, Shelton came out on top by the end of the afternoon for his 10th victory in 12 outings this season. Fritz fell to 8-5.

“It feels amazing [to win],” Shelton said during an on-court interview before claiming the champion’s trophy. “I needed something super natural to win this tournament, with all the holes I was in. I feel grateful to have been able to play five matches out here in front of this crowd. The energy was amazing. I just had to fight to the last minute. Fritz was playing very, very good tennis and I was struggling with everything he was throwing at me. I tried to stay a competitor through and through. I ended up coming out on top. I think it’s a testament to the work me and my team has put in.”

Shelton’s pathway to the Dallas ATP 500 title included wins over Gabriel Diallo, Adrian Mannarino, Miomir Kecmanovic, Denis Shapovalov and Fritz.

From the outset, Fritz was on a mission to win. The 28-year-old Californian captured 100 percent (18 of 18) of his first-serve points in putting away the opening set 6-3, thanks to hitting 11 winners – including six aces – while breaking Shelton in the lefty’s opening service game.

Then, as the second set unfolded, Fritz continued to play lights out with his first serve, while Shelton matched his friend and foe service ace for service ace. By 3-all, Fritz had gone 28 for 28 in winning first-serve points and the Floridian Shelton had struck 12 aces to 10 for Fritz.

However, Shelton saved a break point with his 13th ace and soon held for 4-3. Then, he finally won a trio of points on Fritz’s first serve and broke the American No. 1 to take a 5-3 lead. Soon, Shelton closed out the set 6-3 after striking his 14th ace. Suddenly, after an hour, the title match was tied at a set each and it was on to a decider but with the momentum shifting in Shelton’s favor.

At 1-all in the third set, Shelton broke Fritz with a demonstrative forehand winner to cap a spirited 12-shot rally, which gave him a 2-1 advantage. He consolidated the break for a 3-1 lead but Fritz stayed close after winning the fifth game at love. Then, Fritz broke back to 3-all, by winning a 17-shot marathon skirmish, after Shelton struck a forehand wide. He held at 30 for a 4-3 lead but Shelton responded with an easy hold to level the decider at 4-all.

Next, Fritz surged ahead 5-4 with a love hold, wasting little time or energy. Now, it was up to Shelton to respond or go home as Fritz could begin to see the finish line. Fritz gained a championship point at 15-40 after Shelton sailed a forehand long. The American No. 2 saved it with an overhead smash, then gained deuce with a backhand winner. Fritz gained a second championship point on the next exchange but Shelton saved it with a ninth-shot forehand volley winner. Shelton went on to hold for 5-all after saving a third championship point, then winning a 15-shot back-and-forth tussle with a backhand volley winner at the net.

With the momentum suddenly in his favor, Shelton broke Fritz for the third time in the match to go ahead 6-5 with the championship riding on his racquet. After Fritz saved a pair of championship points from love-40, Shelton won the title after securing one last 12-shot rally for game, set, match, championship in the all-American showdown.

It was Shelton’s fourth-career ATP Tour title and his first one indoors. Since the beginning of 2025, Shelton is 11-4 in deciding third sets, including nine come-from-behind victories. He finished with 16 aces, hit 31 overall aces and converted three of five break points. By comparison, Fritz struck 14 aces and hit 35 winners overall. He won 88 percent (43 of 49) of his first-serve points and converted two of seven break points

“Once I get a set, I feel pretty confident,” Shelton said. “Once I’m able to sink my teeth in, I feel like I have some sort of rhythm. Maybe it’s breaking serve, maybe it’s winning a tiebreaker. I start to loosen up and find my level. I think I’m mostly in shape – my fitness level is good – and it plays into it as well.”

With both Fritz and Shelton pursuing their second ATP 500 title after each had captured their first one at Tokyo in different years, the winner became the third American champion in the five Dallas editions since the event moved from New York.

“It was a crazy match, a fun match to be a part of — until the end,” Fritz said of his 20th ATP Tour final during the trophy presentation. “Congrats to Ben and his team. He played great and in the end, he played the big points and important moments really well.”

On Saturday, the top-seeded Fritz defeated Marin Cilic of Croatia in straight sets and No. 2 seed Shelton rallied past defending champion Shapovalov from Canada to set up a final between the world’s highest-ranking American men.

Fritz struck 22 aces in his 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) win against Cilic, who earlier in the week garnered his 600th career ATP Tour triumph against another American, Learner Tien. Meanwhile, Shelton gutted out a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory to advance to Sunday’s final.

The 10-time ATP tour champion Fritz and Shelton, a winner of three tour-level titles, split their first two head-to-heads. However, this time it was Shelton’s turn to shine.

After defeating Shapovalov in the semifinals on Saturday, Shelton drew plenty of cheers from the fans who filled Ford Center at The Star when he was asked during an on-court interview: “Are you guys telling me that’s the final you want to see? I’m super-excited for that matchup.”

• Unseeded Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti of France upset No. 1 seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina, 6-3, 7-6 (4), in one hour and 22 minutes to win their second-straight doubles title after claiming the Montpellier first prize last week.

Cerundolo is a hometown hero in winning Buenos Aires title

After twice losing a title in his home country, No. 1 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina put the heartache of defeat behind him and won this year’s ATP 250 IEB+ Argentina Open on clay in Buenos Aires Sunday afternoon. 

The World No. 19 Cerundolo defeated No. 2 seed Luciano Darderi, ranked 22nd, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 36 minutes on Cancha Guillermo Vilas at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club. It was the Argentine No. 1’s first title in his home country and fourth ATP Tour title overall.

“Probably the best moment of my career so far,” the 27-year-old Cerundolo said, quoted by the ATP Tour website. “I really wanted to win here in my hometown, in my country, with my friends and family and all the people here in Argentina. This feeling is amazing. I really fought throughout these past years and tried to win. I couldn’t do it, and today I played one of the best matches probably of my career.”

Cerundolo, who outpointed Darderi 70-56, became the seventh home champion in tournament history, which dates back to 2001. He’s now won an ATP Tour-leading 46 matches on clay going back to the start of the 2024 season.

• No. 3 seeds Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos of Brazil won the doubles title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Argentine duo Andrea Collarini and Nicolas Kicker in an hour and 32 minutes after saving five break points.

By the numbers

Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton become the first No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to meet in the final of the Nexo Dallas Open event since No. 1 seed Kevin Anderson defeated No. 2 seed Sam Querrey in the 2018 final, when the tournament used to be held in New York.

“Quotable …”

“I’ve really made a concerted effort to show up to each tournament this year with the mindset that I want to win it. I’m there, each and every match, putting myself in the position that I need to compete at the highest levels.”

– Ben Shelton of the United States, during his post-match interview Saturday after defeating defending champion Denis Shapovalov to reach the title match against Taylor Fritz.

 

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