India, June 14 -- Entering the championship match, the world no. 6 Taylor Fritz boasted a flawless 5-0 career record in grass-court finals and looked primed to defend his Stuttgart crown. However, Shelton, the world no. 5, relied on resilience and clutch serving to neutralize Fritz's rhythm this time. The left-handed Shelton saved nine of the 11 break points he faced throughout the one-hour, 48-minute battle and won the Stuttgart Open 2026 final match 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. This marks his first victory on grass court.

Ben Shelton Vs Taylor Fritz

Fritz statistically dominated several metrics, blasting 14 aces to Shelton's nine and winning more total points, but the 23-year-old found his best tennis when cornered. After breaking Fritz once to cla...