Jannik Sinner defeats Ben Shelton to storm into Paris Masters semi-finals, inches closer to World No. 1 throne

Jannik Sinner delivered a commanding performance at the Rolex Paris Masters on Friday, cruising past American Ben Shelton in straight sets to storm into the semi-finals. The Italian second seed's 6-3, 6-3 victory marks his debut in the last four of this prestigious indoor ATP Masters 1000 event and keeps his bid to reclaim the World No. 1 spot firmly on track.

What happened during the match between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton?

Celebrating his 400th tour-level match, Jannik Sinner extended his impressive winning streak to 24 matches indoors, a run that started back in November 2023. The 24-year-old Italian was unbreakable in key moments, committing zero unforced errors off his trusty two-handed backhand and just 10 on his forehand side.

Sinner's aggression shone through, especially on returns. His lightning-quick reflexes neutralized the Americans' powerful serves, turning defense into offense with ease.

The first set lasted just 34 minutes. Sinner earned triple set point at 5-3 and sealed it on his second chance. He dodged a booming body serve from Shelton, chased down a backhand, and rifled a winner into the open court.

Quick recovery seals the deal

The second set saw a brief hiccup when Sinner was broken to love at 3-1, with Shelton capping the game via a spectacular banana-curling forehand passer. But the Italian regrouped instantly, breaking back and maintaining pressure.

This win avenged Sinner's only loss to Shelton two years ago in Shanghai. Since then, he's won seven straight against the 23-year-old American. Overall, Sinner is 22-0 versus Americans and 14-0 against left-handers in that span.

Jannik Sinner on the win

“It was a very tough match. At times against Ben you don’t have a lot of control because of his incredible serving, but today I felt like I was returning very well,” said Sinner.

“Also from the back of the court, I played very solid and also very aggressive, so I’m very happy about today’s match.”

Historic milestone for Italian tennis

Jannik Sinner scripted his name in history, becoming the first Italian man to reach 43 tour-level semi-finals. He surpassed legends Fabio Fognini and Adriano Panatta. He is also the first Italian to reach the Rolex Paris Masters semis, improving from just one win in his prior three visits.

A fifth title this season, his first ATP Masters 1000 of 2025, would propel Sinner back to World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.