On July 22, 2025, the Mubadala Citi DC Open will host a compelling second-round encounter between fourth seed Ben Shelton and fellow American Mackenzie McDonald at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre in Washington, USA. This ATP 500 event on hard courts features a prize pool of $2,396,115, with the match available live on the Tennis Channel in the USA, Sky Sports in the UK, and TSN in Canada. The meeting serves as a critical stage for both players to advance further in the tournament.
Performance Review: Ben Shelton’s Season and Form
Ben Shelton began the 2025 season strongly, particularly excelling on hard courts despite an unexpected first-round defeat to Jakub Mensik in Auckland. He quickly regained form with an impressive semifinal run at the Australian Open, where his campaign was halted by Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 6-7(2), 2-6, 2-6. This achievement marked Shelton’s best Grand Slam showing to date.
However, Shelton’s consistency faltered post-Australian Open with early exits in Dallas and Acapulco against Jaume Munar and David Goffin, respectively. He then reached the Indian Wells quarterfinals but followed that with a surprising first-round loss to Coleman Wong at Miami. Notably, the upcoming match against McDonald will be Shelton’s first hard-court contest since March 22, emphasizing the importance of regaining momentum.
Mackenzie McDonald’s Season Highlights and Form
Mackenzie McDonald has primarily competed at the Challenger level and in ATP qualifying rounds during the season, with his standout performance coming in March at the Challenger San Diego. There, he reached the final, dropping just one set before a narrow 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 loss to Eliot Spizzirri. More recently at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, McDonald advanced comfortably past Colton Smith in the opening round, winning 6-4, 6-1 in just 66 minutes.
Head-to-Head History Between Shelton and McDonald
Ben Shelton leads their head-to-head 1-0, having won the only previous meeting between the two players. This prior victory adds to Shelton’s psychological advantage as both prepare to face off once again in Washington.
Statistical Insights and Match Prediction
Shelton enters this matchup with increased confidence following strong performances during the North American hard-court swing, including reaching the fourth round at the French Open and the Wimbledon quarterfinals. His serve remains his weapon of choice, yielding an average of 8.8 aces per match. He has maintained a 65.7% success rate on his first serve and wins 74.1% of points when his first serve lands, solidifying his dominance on hard surfaces this season.
By contrast, McDonald’s serving statistics on hard courts show declines in first-serve percentage, points won on first and second serve, and an increased number of double faults compared to his overall seasonal averages. These struggles are expected to place McDonald at a disadvantage, especially against a player with Shelton’s serving prowess.
Considering these factors, the forecast for the second-round clash strongly favors Ben Shelton to secure victory in straight sets.