Ben Shelton faced Alex Molcan in the semifinals of the BMW Open with hopes of taking one more step toward winning a clay-court title in Europe for the first time in his career. He made the final in Munich last year but lost to Alexander Zverev. For someone with the American's skill set, any success on clay could translate into long-term success on the ATP Tour itself.
The issue for many current top-end Americans is that the tennis season is mostly three-quarters of a season. Shelton and others, such as Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, tend to do well on hard courts, and sometimes grass, but European clay has become anathema to Americans.
Should Shelton win in Munich, against a field much better than the type he faces at the US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston every year, it could give the top-10 player more confidence to make a true impact at the French Open. With clay-court success, he could turn into a longtime top-5 player.
Ben Shelton defeats Alex Molcan in the semifinals of the 2026 BMW Open
Against Molcan, Shelton struggled to land his first serve in the first set, doing so only 41 percent of the time. Normally, this would mean his opponent would have the advantage, and the American might have zero chance at winning. Not so against the Slovakian, however, even while Molcan wasn't playing poorly.
Each had more winners than unforced errors in the opening set, but Shelton played better in the bigger moments. This is what players yearning for greatness naturally do, and the American is beginning to learn that.
In the second set, each player was able to hold with relative ease until Alex Molcan struggled at the worst possible time. With the set at 4-all, Molcan was down 0-30, and then got back to deuce. Shelton, though, eventually got the break. He would then hold to take the second set 6-4.
Stunningly, Ben Shelton won't play top-seeded Alexander Zverev again in the BMW Open final. The German, and three-time winner in Munich, was defeated in straight sets by fourth-seed Flavio Cobolli, 6-3, 6-3. The two had played twice before, and the Italian had never won a set. Due to how he performed against Zverev, Cobolli should be the favorite in the final.
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