Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Nicolas Escude Believes the Rising American Ben Shelton Is the Third Man in the Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Rivalry

Nicolas Escude has predicted Ben Shelton to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Former Australian Open semi-finalist Nicolas Escude believes Ben Shelton is the player most likely to join Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the top of men’s tennis. The 21-year-old American was forced to retire in the third round of the 2025 US Open with a shoulder injury, halting what many thought could be a deep run. Yet Escude insists Shelton’s rise is only a matter of time, hinting he could be the one to transform the current duopoly into a trio.

At 22 years old, Ben Shelton becomes the youngest American man to make three Major Round of 16 appearances in a year since Andy Roddick in 2004 🇺🇲 pic.twitter.com/OOHdgD0HNz
— ESPN (@espn) July 5, 2025

Escude Sees Shelton as One of the New Big Three

Speaking to the Eurosport Tennis Club, Escude praised Shelton’s rapid development. “He’s had a great summer, he’s been surprising for a while now. Even on clay, I didn’t expect him to reach this level so quickly.”

He added, “At the US Open, he was the one I was counting on to reach the semi-finals and, why not, cause a surprise against an Alcaraz or a Sinner. But that hasn’t yet been confirmed in terms of results and ranking.” Escude acknowledged Djokovic’s continued relevance. “Indeed, Djokovic is still the third man today, but the third man to come would potentially be Ben Shelton.”

Ben Shelton has now reached the second week at 50% of the Grand Slams he's played in his career.

And that's why I'm on the hype train. He's not the most consistent player outside of Slams, but he turns up when it matters most. He loves a stage.

Like it or not, Slams define you. pic.twitter.com/28uVjIe9TN
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 5, 2025

For now, the Serbian remains the biggest challenger, having reached the semifinals of all four majors this season. But at 38, his era is fading. In contrast, Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated, splitting the last eight Grand Slam titles and collecting 21 career trophies between them. Sinner has also become Italy’s first world No. 1, while Alcaraz reclaimed the top spot after his 2025 US Open win.

Ben Shelton was forced to retire for the first time in 178 career matches.

He will be back, no doubt about that 👊 pic.twitter.com/dlm5Kajlbb
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025

The search for a new rival is intensifying, though some believed Alexander Zverev, world No. 3, could pose a threat, but his current form doesn’t support that. Escude’s vote of confidence suggests Shelton, with his explosive game and fearless mentality, is primed to break through. However, for the world No. 6, Shelton’s US Open setback may have delayed the narrative, but if the Frenchman’s prediction proves right, the men’s game could soon witness a genuine three-way battle.

Mandatory Image Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Carlos Alcaraz

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.