Ben Shelton captured the title of the 2026 BMW Open by Bitpanda, defeating fourth-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final.
In front of packed stands on Center Court at the MTTC Iphitos, Shelton set the tone early, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Cobolli improved as the match progressed, but the world No. 6 remained rock solid on serve, saving all six break points he faced and converting three of his nine opportunities to seal victory in one hour and 30 minutes.
“I came out at a really high level,” said Shelton, who earned his fifth career title and third at ATP 500 level following Tokyo in 2023 and Dallas earlier this year.
“I have done that before against him, but the toughest thing is maintaining it, as he raises his level. I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played some great tennis, and I came through to win it in straight sets.
“I am happy with my performance this week. I got better and better as the week went on, and I am pleased with the work my team put in here.”
