Given that the only match between Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic ended with the Serb bringing out Shelton’s own celebration after winning at the 2023 US Open, fans would not mind seeing a second chapter of the rivalry soon, as the Serb is potentially nearing the end of his career. At the 2026 Swiss Indoors, the two had a chance to play in a potential semifinal clash, but Thursday’s (October 29) results meant fans would have to wait longer for another match between the two.
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Novak Djokovic’s Basel Loss Dents ATP Finals Qualification Chances
Djokovic’s 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-7 (5) loss against Jan-Lennard Struff will have serious implications for the Serb’s chances to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. Currently, the former World No. 1 is 11th in the ATP Race with 2890 points and will need to finish at least ninth to make the cut for the year-ending competition.
Djokovic’s last roll of the dice of the season will be at the Paris Masters, where the Serb will need at least a semifinal run to remain in contention, while winning the title might guarantee him a spot. The Serb has a 50-9 win-loss record at the tournament and has won the title seven times before, so it would be foolhardy to count him out. However, this would be the first time he has played at the event since 2023, and he will have to contend with the new venue in Nanterre, as all of his previous exploits came at Bercy, which was the venue for the event until 2024.
Given the entry list for Paris, Djokovic will be the tenth seed at the event, which will mean the Serb will have to play six matches instead of five, as the top eight seeds receive a first-round bye. However, given his performance against Struff in Basel, the Serb will need to pick up his game on the court as well, especially in his return games.
Often dubbed the best returner in the sport, Djokovic could not break Struff’s serve even once across eighteen return games, with the German saving all six break points on his serve. On the other hand, the Serb dropped his serve once, which happened to be on set point during the second set, giving Struff the opportunity to come back in the match. The Serb hit 21 aces and 43 winners in the match while making only 18 unforced errors, but his opponent was even more aggressive, hitting over sixty winners in the match, even though he hit twenty more unforced errors compared to the 24-time Major champion.
Djokovic has had no qualms about the fact that making it to the ATP Finals is an important goal for him this season, and the Serb showed he still had what it takes to win titles at the China Open, where he made his way through the draw, beating the likes of Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev. The loss in Basel is a missed opportunity for the Serb, as he was 8-0 against Struff before this match, and also because the draw opened up after the top seed, Ben Shelton, exited on the same day.
Ben Shelton’s Post-US Open Struggles Continue in Basel
Things have not been smooth sailing for Ben Shelton since he reached the US Open final. The American has struggled in his recent tournaments, losing four of his last six matches. His recent loss in Basel came at the hands of World No. 222, Jerome Kym, who beat him in a three-set thriller, with the home crowd supporting their player to the hilt.
Shelton’s ever-reliable serve was off the mark from the first set itself, where Kym broke him twice to close out the set at 6-3. Both players held on to their serve all through the second set, with the American raising his game in the tiebreak to take the second set.
Once again, the Shelton serve was under pressure, as he got broken twice in the third set and was on the brink at 2-5. However, he rallied back, breaking Kym’s serve for the first time in the match, leveling the score at 5-5. The home favorite was not to be denied, though, as he won three points on the Shelton serve during the third-set tiebreak, winning it 7-1 and closing out the match.
For Shelton, this is the second time in a row that he has struggled against a lower-ranked opponent, having lost to Arthur Gea in Shanghai. With the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals coming up, the World No. 4 will hope to get his form back quickly so that he can make a strong push at the end of the season.