Ben Shelton saved three championship points to edge Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Nexo Dallas Open final on Sunday. The 23-year-old American claimed his second ATP 500 title and first indoors. Fritz reached his 20th tour-level final but fell short in the high-stakes all-American matchup.
The Nexo Dallas Open final featured a gripping battle between top American players Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz on indoor hard courts at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Shelton, the No. 2 seed ranked No. 9, overcame an early setback to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory in 1 hour and 51 minutes. He saved all three championship points in the 10th game of the deciding set, then dropped just three more points to clinch the match and his first title of the 2026 season.
Shelton roared back after Fritz took the opening set, breaking in the second and holding firm in a tense third. The win improved Shelton's Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Fritz to 2-1. Since the start of 2025, Shelton is 11-4 in deciding sets, including nine comebacks from a set down. "It feels amazing. I thank God, because I needed something super natural to end up winning this tournament with all the holes that I was in," Shelton said post-match. He credited the Dallas crowds for the energy during his five matches, four of which went to deciding sets.
Fritz, the top seed and World No. 7, had advanced with a 7-6(5), 7-6(3) semifinal win over Marin Cilic, serving 22 aces despite ongoing knee concerns. He acknowledged Shelton's performance in the trophy presentation: "It was a crazy match, a fun match to be a part of—until the end. Congrats to Ben and his team. He played great and in the end, he played the big points and important moments really well."
Shelton now heads to Delray Beach as a strong contender, while Fritz prepares for the ATP 250 event there as the top seed. The final highlighted the depth of American tennis on the ATP Tour.
