Ben Shelton had the momentum in his second-round match at the 2025 Cincinnati Open when his opponent was suddenly forced to pull out. The American was leading 6-3, 3-1 against Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli when the match came to an abrupt end. Shelton was playing well and looked set to close out the victory in straight sets before the unfortunate turn of events.
Ben Shelton’s Heartfelt Message to His Opponent After Difficult Ending
The match ended in disappointing circumstances when Ugo Carabelli suffered a knee injury during the fourth game of the second set. Carabelli came forward to play a point but suddenly stopped and grabbed his knee in pain. He tried to continue after taking a medical timeout, but couldn’t move freely and was forced to retire from the match.
Shelton was visibly upset about how the match ended. When Ugo Carabelli started walking toward the net to shake hands, Shelton realized what was happening, and his disappointment was clear.
After the two players shook hands, Shelton took a marker and wrote a supportive message on the television camera lens: “Get better Camilo 🙂“. The gesture showed his class and sportsmanship despite the anticlimactic ending to their encounter.
During the on-court speech, Shelton expressed his discontent on Ugo Carabelli’s injury. “I feel for Camilo, obviously not the way that you want to go through the next round and hope that he has a quick recovery. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but I hope it’s not serious. Tough to see a tennis player ever go down,” Shelton said, showcasing the mutual respect between players.
Ugo Carabelli started the tournament strong, defeating Japanese player Kei Nishikori 7-5, 6-3 in the first round. Despite landing fewer first serves than Nishikori, Ugo Carabelli bounced back and won more second-serve points while converting three break points. He fired four aces, dominating the first serve by winning 81% of the points.
Ben Shelton’s Strong Start Before Ugo Carabelli’s Injury
Shelton had been in control throughout the match, which lasted just 64 minutes. He dominated the first set 6-3, winning it with two service breaks. During the set, Ugo Carabelli showed his frustration by throwing his racket after losing the set. The American was serving well, landing 70% of his first serves and winning 84% of those points.
In the second set, Shelton continued his strong play and broke serve early to lead 2-1. The match statistics showed Shelton’s dominance — he hit four aces compared to Carabelli’s zero, had 16 winners to his opponent’s three, and won 57% of total points. Carabelli had been struggling with injuries since earlier tournaments, and this knee problem ended his Cincinnati campaign.
The victory moved Shelton into the third round, where he is set to face Roberto Bautista Agut. Coming off his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto just days earlier, Shelton is looking to build on his career-best form and continue the momentum towards the US Open. His girlfriend Trinity Rodman, who wasn’t present at the Canadian Open, is now back in the stands, supporting Shelton enthusiastically.