Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe Team Up at DC Open Venue
The US Open is just around the corner, but Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are focusing on the ATP 500 event at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. The two American tennis players have arrived in the US capital, where they were spotted training together at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
Ben Shelton, who is defending 200 ranking points after reaching the semifinals last year, is looking to build momentum ahead of his Canadian Open title defense. The American has produced mixed results this season, winning just one match at the ATP Masters 1000 level and five matches across the three completed Grand Slam events.
Shelton has won three titles, one on each surface, including two at the 500 level (Dallas and Munich). He was seen wearing a left-arm sleeve during his training session with Tiafoe.
Tiafoe, who was beaten in the 2025 quarterfinal by Shelton, is chasing his first title at his home tournament and would be enjoying local support. The American arrives after a third-round exit against Alexander Bublik at Wimbledon. Having won the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500 event in Halle last month, he enters the North American swing with renewed confidence.
Meanwhile, Jack Draper has joined the field in search of redemption. The 24-year-old Brit has endured an injury-plagued season marked by lengthy spells on the sidelines. He has slipped to No. 147 in the world and has accepted a wildcard in hopes of gaining some much-needed ranking points.
Draper has brought with him Andy Murray, who joined his coaching team before the grass swing. Murray was spotted practicing on the tournament courts on Thursday, experimenting with a blacked-out racket amid his lingering arm injury concerns.
The stacked ATP field at the Mubadala DC Open also features Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Arthur Fils, Jakub Menšík, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and defending champion Alex de Minaur. The tournament is set to take place from July 27 to August 2 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center.
Source: Yahoo Sports