Ben Shelton was looking to secure another straight-sets win at Wimbledon when the umpire made a controversial decision.

After Shelton defeated Alex Bolt 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 in his opening match at Wimbledon, he advanced to take on Bolt’s countryman, Rinky Hijikata, in round two.

The American continued to impress against Hijikata and led the Australian 6-2, 7-5, 5-4, when the umpire chose to suspend the match due to darkness.

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One service game away from a place in the third round, Shelton was unsurprisingly frustrated with the decision as the crowd made their feelings heard on Court Two.

Reacting to the controversial moment, one ATP Tour legend gave his verdict on the umpire’s decision.

Boris Becker says ‘nobody understands’ the umpire’s decision to suspend the match

Taking to X, former world number one Boris Becker shared his thoughts on the umpire’s decision to suspend play.

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“Why suspend the match when both players want to continue?” he asked.

“[Ben Shelton] was about to serve for the match and never lost his serve in the entire match.

“Nobody understands the referee’s decision.”

Seeing the light fade, both Shelton and Hijikata had suggested calling off the match before the third set began, but were told to stay on as play continued.

Ben Shelton speaks to officials as play is suspended on Court twoPhoto by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Therefore, when the call came to suspend the match with Shelton a game away from victory, the American became visibly frustrated.

Shelton’s fellow American doesn’t think he will be frustrated for long, however, as he predicts what will happen when the match resumes.

“Ain’t a doubt in my mind that Ben will come out and bust four aces,” said Mardy Fish on X.

“Little hit and giggle tomorrow, stud.”

Shelton and Hijikata will return to Court Two on Friday to finish off their match, scheduled second on.

Court 2 order of play – Friday, July 4

  • 1. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Naomi Osaka
  • 2. Ben Shelton v Rinky Hijikata (to finish)
  • 3. Laura Siegemund v Madison Keys
  • 4. Nicolas Jarry v Joao Fonseca

With Brazil’s Joao Fonseca set to play later in the day, the crowd will no doubt be lively on Court Two throughout.

It remains to be seen if Shelton can use that to his advantage and serve his way into the third round of Wimbledon for the second year in a row.

Does Ben Shelton have a chance to win Wimbledon in 2025?

Despite his lack of experience, Shelton has proven himself at the Grand Slam tournaments on several occasions, reaching two semi-finals (US Open 2023, Australian Open 2025).

Possessing the ability to step up on the biggest of occasions, Shelton could certainly make a run at SW19.

His path to the quarterfinals doesn’t look too bad, although things quickly take a turn from that point on.

  • 2025 Wimbledon 2R – Ben Shelton v Rinky Hijikata
  • 2025 Wimbledon 3R – Ben Shelton v Gael Monfils
  • 2025 Wimbledon 4R – Ben Shelton v Brandon Nakashima
  • 2025 Wimbledon QF – Ben Shelton v Jannik Sinner
  • 2025 Wimbledon SF – Ben Shelton v Novak Djokovic
  • 2025 Wimbledon F – Ben Shelton v Carlos Alcaraz

World number one Jannik Sinner may await Shelton in the quarterfinals, the man who’s beaten him in each of their five previous meetings.

Match Winner Loser Score 2025 Australian Open – SF Jannik Sinner Ben Shelton 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 2024 Shanghai Masters – 4R Jannik Sinner Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6 2024 Wimbledon – 4R Jannik Sinner Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 2024 Indian Wells – 4R Jannik Sinner Ben Shelton 7-6, 6-1 2023 Vienna Open – 1R Jannik Sinner Ben Shelton 7-6, 7-5 2023 Shanghai Masters – 4R Ben Shelton Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-5

Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record

The Italian beat Shelton at Wimbledon 12 months ago, securing the win in three sets to book his place in the quarterfinals.

Shelton couldn’t find his forehand during the first two sets, and when things started to click in the third, it was already too late.

The pair have played one further Grand Slam match since, in the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open.

In a one-sided affair, Sinner defeated Shelton 7-6, 6-2, 6-2, to return to the final, where he went on to win his third Grand Slam title.

There’s no doubt Shelton will have learned a lot from both of those matches, but it remains to be seen if he can beat Sinner at Wimbledon in 2025.

Both players have work to do before they think about the quarterfinals, however, as Shelton prepares to finish his match with Hijikata before Sinner takes on Pedro Martinez in the third round on Saturday, July 5.