Ben Shelton is pursuing his second ATP Masters 1000 title of the season this week at the Rolex Paris Masters and he has already qualified for the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
According to an Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis, a big reason for his success in 2026 has been the significant improvement in his performance after losing the first set. Call the American the Comeback King of 2026.
Entering the Paris quarter-finals, Shelton owns a 14-12 record for the season after losing the first set, giving him a 53.8 winning percentage. No other player on the ATP Tour has won more than 10 matches this year after losing the first set.
But it is not just that the lefty is doing it often. Shelton is doing so with a good winning percentage, too. Of the six players who have already qualified for this year's Nitto ATP Finals, only Carlos Alcaraz (5-4, 55.6%) has won a higher rate of matches after losing the first set, and the Spaniard has lost the first set just nine times this year.
| Turin Qualifier | 2026 Record After Losing 1st Set | Winning % After Losing 1st Set |
| Alexander Zverev | 4-10 | 28.6% |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 5-4 | 55.6% |
| Ben Shelton | 14-12 | 53.8% |
| Daniil Medvedev | 10-19 | 34.5% |
| Flavio Cobolli | 10-20 | 33.3% |
| Arthur Fils | 6-14 | 30% |
Fellow qualifiers Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Arthur Fils have won less than 35 per cent of their matches after dropping the first set in 2026.
Comebacks have proved pivotal for Shelton throughout the season. The American lost the first set in three of his matches in Dallas and ultimately lifted the trophy. The same was the case in Stuttgart, where he also lost three first sets before emerging victorious with the hardware.
But perhaps the most notable site of his comebacks was the US Open. Shelton lost four first sets at Flushing Meadows and on the first three occasions, he rallied to victory. One of those instances came in the first round.
Had Shelton succumbed to his opening deficit against Tallon Griekspoor, he would have been left wondering what could have been in New York. Instead, the former University of Florida star surged to his first Grand Slam final, a run that included comebacks in the quarter-finals against Carlos Alcaraz and the semi-finals against Frances Tiafoe.
The 24-year-old's performance from a set down this year has been plenty notable. But what really makes it stand out is how Shelton had previously played from a set down.
Entering 2026, he held just a 29-62 record after losing the first set, a 31.9 winning percentage. This year he has won 53.8 per cent of those matches. And that has been key to the best season of Shelton's career.
So even if the No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings loses the first set in Paris or Turin, know that he has been there before and proven adept at turning things around.
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