(August 29, 2025) FLUSHING, NY – Ben Shelton, the No. 6 seed, was forced to retire with a left shoulder injury on Friday afternoon against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The match was even at two sets a piece, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, when the young American retired.
He will play Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the US Open quarterfinals on Sunday.
“He’s a great player,” Shelton said in his news conference. “Sometimes tough to find answers against him. He just seemed to not have any holes. He returns really well. He has a different serving style that makes it difficult to deal with. Yeah, he’s a great player. Had a lot of battles with him.
Shelton said that he could not pinpoint when the pain in his left arm began, but the pain level was “really high.”
“I was just trying to adjust and figure out whatever I can to keep competing, you know. Even though I was in pain, I was just kind of in that competitive mindset of trying to find a way and push through it.”
“I mean, I was just trying to adjust and figure out whatever I can to keep competing, you know. Even though I was in pain, I was just kind of in that competitive mindset of trying to find a way and push through it.”
“Usually, I’ll play through anything and just kind of find a way. And whether it’s sickness or injury, like, if I can stay out there, I can stay out there. I never felt anything like this before.
“So, yeah, that was kind of tough, I guess the uncertainty. But yeah, I guess I don’t have anything else to say.”
“The shoulder is obviously complex. It’s tough to know. Was basically just trying to alleviate pain and see if I could play, and that was the extent of it.”
More to follow….
