Ben Shelton has booked a return to the Australian Open quarterfinals after rallying past 12th seed Casper Ruud.

After dropping the opening set on Rod Laver Arena, Shelton fought back to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory. He now moves within three wins of his first Grand Slam title.

Standing in his way is defending champion Jannik Sinner, who holds an eight-match winning streak over the American.

Shelton’s only win against Sinner came back in their first-ever meeting at the Shanghai Masters in 2023 when he won in three sets.

Despite the incredibly lopsided head-to-head record, Shelton seemed confident ahead of his most significant challenge yet at the Australian Open.

Ben Shelton previews his match with Jannik Sinner in Melbourne

Asked how this meeting might differ from their previous encounters, the 23-year-old pointed to changes in his style of play.

“I think my game is a lot different,” he said.

“I think the way that I’m executing, one, at the net is going to be a huge advantage to me. I think the way that I’m mixing things up from the baseline is a lot different than a year ago.

“I struggled to find my rhythm tonight. You know, it was my first time playing at night since I’ve been here, and the conditions were completely different.

“But I got through a tough four-set win, and for the most part since I’ve been here, I’ve never hit my forehand this good. I feel like I have great control.”

He added: “I feel like I’m hitting it bigger than I’ve ever hit it. I think my return game has improved a lot. A year ago today, I wasn’t comfortable hitting a forehand return. I didn’t put a lot in play. I had to go to the chip a lot to put it in play.

“And now I’m getting to a point in the match where I feel like I’m [in] lock-down mode, and I can’t miss one.

“I think that that is a piece that really helps me, because you got to play offensive tennis to beat the best guys.

“I think that, you know, all those things together are what makes my game a little bit different than where I was at before. But I think, you know, everyone is working and making improvements all the time.”

Ben Shelton’s 2025 record against Jannik Sinner

Shelton faced Sinner four times in 2025, including two meetings in Grand Slams.

Sinner secured a straight-sets victory (7-6, 6-2, 6-2) in their first match of the year, which took place in the Australian Open semi-finals.

They met again in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The 23-year-old American put up a stronger fight this time but still went down 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Sinner also claimed victory over Shelton at the Paris Masters (6-3, 6-3) and followed that up with another win at the ATP Finals (6-3, 7-6).

The upcoming match will be their tenth meeting overall and comes with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.

Shelton is aiming to reach his second consecutive Australian Open semi-final and his third across all Grand Slams.

Meanwhile, Sinner is three wins away from a third straight title in Melbourne. If he manages it, he will join Novak Djokovic as only the second player to achieve that feat in the Open Era.