Ben Shelton may have stumbled in Madrid, but don't count out America's brightest clay-court hope just yet. After a confidence-boosting title run in Munich, the world number six hit an unexpected speed bump with a first-round exit at the Madrid Open—leaving plenty of questions about his form as he heads to the Italian Open.

That tournament offers Shelton one last chance to fine-tune his game on clay and prove to the ATP Tour what he's truly capable of. And despite the early loss, the American is keeping his head high. Speaking to Tennis TV, Shelton opened up about how the Munich victory has fueled his momentum, even if Madrid didn't go as planned.

"I don't know about afterglow, but definitely momentum. I feel good about my clay-court game," he said, before rationalizing the defeat to Dino Prizmic. "An early exit in Madrid, but not even a bad match that I played. For me, it's something to continue to keep improving on, get better at, and see where we end up here."

So what clicked for Shelton during that championship run in Munich? He credits his ball control and a rock-solid backhand. "I think I just had great ball control; I was hitting the ball really well off both sides. Especially my backhand corner—it was actually probably my better side from the baseline. I was just so solid off that wing."

And while Shelton's immediate focus is on the Italian Open, there's already big news on the horizon. It's been confirmed that he'll suit up for Team World at the 2026 Laver Cup this September, joining Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur on a formidable squad. On the other side, Team Europe has locked in Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev so far. Team captain Andre Agassi couldn't be more thrilled: "Pat and I couldn't be happier that Ben is joining the team. He is a dynamic talent that will help us in singles, doubles, as well as with his infectious energy in the locker room and from the bench."