Ben Shelton is into the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time, defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(1), 7-5 on Monday afternoon in a hard-fought fourth-round match on No. 1 Court.

After a slow start, the 22-year-old American stormed back, dominating the second set, digging deep in a tense third-set tiebreak, and breaking late in the fourth to seal the win in three hours and four minutes.

It was Shelton’s third Grand Slam win over Sonego this year, having already beaten him at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. Their frequent matchups now carry historical weight: the two are the first pair to face off at the first three majors of a season since Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe in 1984.

“A lot of things that I’m proud of myself—the way I handled that match, winning it in four sets,” Shelton said afterward. “And some things I definitely want to do better moving forward for the rest of the tournament.”

Shelton’s serve was once again a central factor. He hit 8 aces, won 74% of his first-serve points, and clocked a fastest serve of 146 mph. He struck 47 winners—20 from the forehand side—and offset them with 41 unforced errors, reflecting his aggressive approach.

Though Sonego matched him with 8 aces and 72% first-serve points won, Shelton pulled away at key moments. He dominated the third-set tiebreak 7-1 and delivered the decisive break at 6-5 in the fourth to close out the match.

Shelton’s return game also showed its development—something he’s been actively working on.

“I want to be one of the best returners in the world,” he said. “I’m on my way. I’m certainly not there yet, but I’m much better than I was when I started out on tour. In the moments where I needed it most, I returned well today.”

Off the court, Shelton has made the most of his time in London, staying in a house with family and friends.

“It’s been an enjoyable experience being able to share these wins with them,” Shelton said.

“It’s not always that you get to stay in a house with your family and do things together. We spend a lot of time together.

“This has been really cool for me and special to be as deep as I’ve ever been at Wimbledon, deeper than I’ve ever been, and have all these people here with me.”

He also reflected on his early memories of Wimbledon—watching matches with his father, Bryan Shelton, a former pro who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1994 and now coaches Ben.

“My dad, he always has tennis on the TV. We get back from a trip. If I end up going over to his house, it’s like he’s been watching tennis for four weeks straight. Masters, a slam, a couple 500s. I walk in the living room, sitting there, tennis on the TV. I’m like, Dude, go play golf or something (smiling).

“Yeah, he’s a severe, severe student of the game. So those are kind of first memories, whether it was the 2019 Novak and Roger final, a bunch of others. I don’t remember exactly who was playing. Kind of late in the tournament, just the highly anticipated matches, getting glued to the TV for a few hours, for sure.”

Already a semifinalist at the US Open and Australian Open, Shelton continues to rise on the biggest stages. He’ll now look to go a step further at Wimbledon.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for me to go for it and be aggressive and come after whoever I’m playing,” he said. “Try to get to the semifinals at Wimbledon for the first time.”