Ben Shelton’s mission to master clay-court tennis slid off course. Can he find his feet?

Ben Shelton is struggling to find success on clay courts ahead of the 2026 French Open in Paris, falling behind some of his American compatriots in terms of results on the surface. The article highlights that several top U.S. players, including Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul, have historically found clay difficult, with Paul taking 11 years after his 2015 French Open junior title to win another clay title — the U.S. Clay Court Championship in Houston. Shelton has taken a different approach to clay than his compatriots but is still working to figure out how to compete effectively on the surface.