Ben Shelton suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon after losing to qualifier Otto Virtanen in five sets. Martina Navratilova described the result as very disappointing during an appearance on The Tennis Channel.
Ranked No. 5, Shelton fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 to the Finnish player. It marked the first time a top-10 player had been eliminated from the tournament.
Navratilova said Virtanen played aggressively and took time away at the net. She noted that Shelton is not the best passer and added that she had expected him to win the title if he put his game together.
Shelton credited his opponent after the match. He said Virtanen hit the ball well, made few mistakes, and came up with key shots when needed.
The American will drop 360 ranking points and could fall to No. 6 depending on other results. Shelton's last first-round major loss came at the 2023 French Open.
