Ben Shelton saved three match points to beat fellow American Taylor Fritz in the Dallas Open final to win his fourth career title and with it came a handy cheque and a good haul of points.
Playing in his sixth ATP Tour singles final, Shelton found himself up against in the 10th game of the deciding set as he faced three match points, but saved them all and then broke in the next game.
The 23-year-old then came out to serve for the match, but this time Fritz saved two match points before Shelton got the job done on match point number three for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
“This was a crazy match to be part of,” Shelton said during the trophy presentation ceremony.
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He then told Fritz: “I thought your level was amazing. What you’ve done this year, dealing with adversity, fighting through injuries, the competitor you are – you’re an inspiration to all.
“Every kid at home should watch how hard you compete, day in and day out when you’re not feeling 100 per cent.”
ATP Ranking Points Earned
The ATP uses a 52-week rolling, cumulative system so players have to defend points from the same period 12 months ago.
Players earn 500 points for winning an ATP 500 event and Shelton collected 500 points for winning the title, but he added only 490 points to his rankings total as he dropped 10 points from 2025 when he lost in the second round.
A run to the final is worth 330 points, but Fritz earned only 280 points once his points from last year came off.
Shelton’s title, though, means the two are neck-and-neck in the ATP Rankings with Fritz on 4,220 in eighth place and his compatriot one spot behind on 4,050.
Fritz, though, will have a chance to edge further away from Shelton as he will feature at the Delray Beach Open this week, while the world No 8 will only return to action next week at the Mexican Open.
Prize Money Earned
Shelton collected $529,945 for winning the title to take his 2026 prize money earnings to $1,052,025 while his career tally now sits at $12,261,196.
Fritz added another $285,095 to his total to move to $29,818,479 with $922,187 of that coming in 2026.
FYI: Fritz is 18th on the all-time list with Stan Wawrinka in 10th place “just” $8,392,740 ahead of him.
Shelton, meanwhile, is down in 80th place, but he still has a long career ahead of him.
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The post Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz’s points after ‘crazy’ Dallas Open final appeared first on Tennis365.
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