Ben Shelton is the top-ranked American in the initial ATP rankings of 2026. Shelton sits at No. 8, one spot ahead of fellow countryman Taylor Fritz, who dropped 245 points and three spots.
Starting this year, only 18 tournaments are officially counted towards a player’s ranking, one less than in previous years. The rule went into effect on December 29, although there were no changes in the rankings at that time. Fritz won the United Cup in December 2024, but did not participate this season. Shelton held steady at 3,960 points and moved up one spot ahead of Fritz.
It’s only the second time Shelton has reached the top spot among USA players in his career, last doing so on Nov. 10 when he achieved his career peak of No. 5 overall. While Shelton had the best year of his young career in 2025, it ended with six losses in his last nine matches, following a return from an injury suffered at the US Open.
He’s looking to kick off his 2026 campaign with a return to form, however. Shelton starts the year in Auckland, Australia, at an ATP 250 event. He lost to Jakub Mensik in the Round of 16 last year after earning a bye in the Round of 32. While the men’s draw is not set yet, Shelton is confirmed to participate; qualifiers begin on Saturday.
The tournament serves as a warm-up for the first major of the year — the Australian Open, where Shelton made it to the semi-finals a year ago. He stands to lose plenty of points if he cannot repeat his success down under, but Shelton is widely regarded as one of the few legitimate challengers to the dominant reign of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner. The Australian Open begins Jan. 18.
