Dallas, February 16 – Ben Shelton saved three championship points to defeat Taylor Fritz in the Dallas Open final, winning his first title of the season and his fourth ATP Tour title.
The 23-year-old rallied from a set down to achieve a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory, securing his second ATP 500 trophy and saving all three championship points in a tense 10th game of the deciding set.
With this one-hour, 51-minute win, Shelton improved his ATP head-to-head record against Fritz to 2-1. According to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Shelton is 11-4 in deciding-set matches since the beginning of 2025, including nine wins from a set down.
"It feels amazing. I thank God, because I needed something extraordinary to win this tournament, given the challenges I was facing. I am grateful to have played five matches here with these crowds. The energy was incredible," Shelton said after the win.
"I had to fight until the very end. Fritz was playing really well, and I was struggling a lot with his game. I tried to be a determined competitor, and I managed to come out on top. I think it's a testament to the hard work me and my team put in," he added.
Despite losing the final, Fritz can reflect on another positive run to his 20th tour-level final. The American No. 1 now heads to the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach, where he is the top seed.
"It was a crazy match, a fun match to be a part of – until the end. Congratulations to Ben and his team. He played great, and in the end, he played the big points and important moments really well," Fritz said.
