Otto Virtanen upsets Ben Shelton in Wimbledon first round

Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen produces a stunning display to beat fourth seed Ben Shelton in a fifth set tie-break in the opening round of the men's singles at Wimbledon 2026.

Fourth-seeded Ben Shelton is out after the 1st-round at Wimbledon, falling to Finland's Otto Virtanen 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9).

Last year’s quarter-finalist beaten in first round Queen’s champion, Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, also out Of the 18 Americans who began the men’s singles – the most of any nation – perhaps the most excitement surrounded Ben Shelton. A quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year, the left-hander won his first grass-court title in Stuttgart earlier in June and, with one of the best serves in the game, seems made for the surface. On Tuesday the No 4 seed duly lost in the first round, beaten 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9) by Otto Virtanen of Finland, the world No 140 appearing in just his second Wimbledon. Shelton led by two sets to one, had chances to break in the fifth and then a match point at 9-8 in the tiebreak, only to dump a forehand in the net. Two points later the match was over, a scorching Shelton forehand landing agonisingly wide. Continue reading...

Ben Shelton wasted a match point in the fifth-set tiebreaker against qualifier Otto Virtanen at Wimbledon in what the fourth-seeded American called “one of the toughest losses of my career.” Shelton was eliminated 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9) on Tuesday, losing in the first round at the grass-court Grand Slam for the first time in his young career. The 23-year-old Shelton led 8-5 in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker against his 140th-ranked opponent and had match point at 9-8 but made an unforced error and then lost the next two points.

Shelton suffered another stunning early exit at a grand slam for the second time this year