Top-seeded Ben Shelton and defending champion Taylor Fritz prepare to fight for the 2026 BOSS Open title in Stuttgart on Sunday afternoon, in what should be a well played all-American final.
Both of these players surely seem happy that the clay season is over, especially Fritz who has completely turned around his form in Stuttgart.
Road to the final
For Taylor Fritz, the road to the championship match has been a masterclass in efficiency. The second-seeded American, who is aiming to become the first player to successfully defend the Stuttgart title since Thomas Muster in 1996, has looked dominant on the grass. By defeating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals, Fritz extended his winning streak in Stuttgart to seven matches. He’s now with an impressive 16-2 record on grass since the start of 2025 and maintains a perfect 5-0 record in grass-court finals.
Shelton has been a real survivor so far in Stuttgart, overcoming a one-set deficit in all three of his matches leading up to the final. Wth around four hours of court time on Saturday alone, Shelton will need to dig deep to find the energy for another tough match today.
Head-to-Head
This is a rematch of the dramatic Dallas Open final from February, where Shelton saved three championship points to pull off a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 comeback victory. That win gives Shelton a 2-1 lead in their tour head-to-head series and this is becoming a good rivalry in American tennis. Sunday’s final will be their first meeting on grass.
Predictons
Two very even players that enjoys the fast grass courts, and there will be small things that will decide the winner. Looking at the betting odds, Fritz is the favorite (1.77, -130) and it feels like he has a slight edge in less court time and he’s surely looking for revenge for the Dallas final recently. Being one of the best grass court players on tour right now, I’ll go with Fritz to deal well with all the weapons Shelton will deliver, defend his title and even out their h2h stats. I think we will see at least one tie-break.