Shelton savors his first Masters participation: "I've made progress in many areas, that's what matters most to me"

Ben Shelton will compete in the ATP Finals in the coming hours for the very first time in his career.

Winner of his first Masters 1000 in Toronto during the summer, Shelton, world number 6, will be in the group with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and either Félix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti at the Masters.

The 23-year-old player is enthusiastic about facing the Italian again, this time in front of his home crowd, and is savoring his presence at the tournament of masters, a reward for his work during the year.

"Everything is truly magnificent here; what impressed me the most is the passion of the supporters. A lot of them have already come. This is my first experience in Turin, and I must say I've never felt this at other tournaments this season.

I like the idea of taking on the challenge against Sinner again, with the Italian crowd on his side; the atmosphere will certainly be special. Over the last two years, I've made progress in many areas, and that's what matters most to me.

I have improved, I've managed to play well on different surfaces and throughout the year. To be among the top eight at the end of the year, you need to be very consistent in your performances, and the fact that I am here means I have made significant progress, which makes me very happy," Shelton assured Tennis World Italia.