If TNT is looking for a soundbite to include in future commercials for its French Open coverage, they don’t need to look beyond an interview from Ben Shelton.
The American star, seeded No. 13 in the men’s bracket, earned a spot in the fourth-round with a straight-set win over Italy’s Matteo Gigante. Following that victory, Shelton praised TNT’s coverage of the event.
“A lot of us Americans, we play the best when the lights are shining bright,” Shelton said. “And I think TNT’s done a great job of that, so far for us this year. I know, for me, my friends back home, seeing stuff on TNT and Bleacher Report and House of Highlights — it’s like there’s a lot of hype around this tournament.”
“Us Americans play the best when the lights are shining bright”
Ben Shelton on the hype around Roland-Garros 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0YxEZD3wiA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2025
This is TNT’s first year covering the event. The network has introduced some features that haven’t traditionally been staples of tennis coverage, such as an NFL RedZone style show and mic’d up players and coaches during practices and matches, respectively.
Shelton’s next match, on Sunday morning, will be against defending champion, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz.
