Ben Shelton Irate After Controversial Ruling Ends Match Just Before He Serves

Ben Shelton Irate After Controversial Ruling Ends Match Just Before He Serves originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In a stunning moment at the 2025 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Tournament, American tennis star and Florida Gator alumnus Ben Shelton found himself irate as his second-round match against Rinky Hijikata was suspended at 9:29 PM local time in London.

The match was suspended just as the young American was poised to serve out the match. Leading 6-2, 7-5, 5-4, Shelton had a golden opportunity to put away the match, but the decision to suspend left him understandably frustrated. 

The video, shared by SportsCenter on X, sees Shelton pleading his case to the umpires after they decided to halt play.

The umpires had a chance to stop play with Shelton leading 4-2 in the third set, however, decided to let the match resume.

Shelton, known for his rocket serves and aggressive play from the baseline, expressed his immense disappointment with the umpires’ ruling, arguing that the timing was unjust due to his momentum.

The former Gator star had yet to be broken by Hijikata throughout the match, a testament to both his ability to hold serve and not give his opponents an ounce of breathing room.

With the match set to finish tomorrow morning, all eyes will be on Shelton to see if he can channel the frustration from the ruling into a victory over Hijikata.

Hijikata, who struggled mightily throughout the match, can use the suspension as a fresh start tomorrow and hope to be the one to establish momentum.

This incident is a reminder of the unpredictable nature in the sport of tennis, where both timing and rules and can dramatically influence the outcome of a match.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.