Prizmic Triumphs Over Shelton in Epic Madrid Showdown
20-year-old Prizmic gears up for a face-off against Etcheverry or Ofner in Round 3; Musetti secures victory over Hurkacz
April 24, 2026
David Ramos/Getty Images
Dino Prizmic conquers Ben Shelton in a riveting three-hour duel in Madrid.
By Jerome Coombe
In a remarkable display of talent, Dino Prizmic stunned World No. 6 Ben Shelton with a thrilling 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5) victory at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday. This monumental win marks a significant milestone in the young Croatian’s burgeoning career.
The 20-year-old qualifier showcased an electrifying mix of power and agility, executing precise shots from the baseline while demonstrating impressive defensive agility. Despite riding a five-match winning streak following his triumph in Munich, Shelton found it challenging to subdue Prizmic, who ultimately proved too resilient, advancing to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.
QUALIFIER ➡️ THIRD ROUND 👊
Dino Prizmic claims his first-ever Top 10 victory against the No. 4 seed Shelton in a thrilling match!@MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/EMhGwQGUXZ
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 24, 2026
“This win means everything to me,” Prizmic expressed. “It was a tough match, and I focused on playing my game point by point. My team has helped me remain calm during crucial moments, but facing a player like Shelton, who is No. 6 in the world, makes it that much more special. I waited for my chances, and I capitalized in the end.”
Even though Shelton hit 44 winners to balance out his 44 unforced errors, Prizmic—now the reigning 2023 Roland Garros boys’ champion—refused to lower his game. He found an extra gear during the nail-biting final-set tie-break to seal the deal after an enthralling three hours.
Prizmic’s promise has been on display for some time; he notably took a set off Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open and qualified for last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. However, this week in Madrid, he is finally unlocking that potential, with victories over former finalist Matteo Berrettini and the American powerhouse Shelton.
Despite Shelton’s energetic gameplay—especially in the second set—Prizmic maintained his composure and aggression, effectively handling the pressure throughout the match and notably not facing a single break point, as highlighted by Infosys ATP Stats.
Having just broken into the Top 100 last week, Prizmic’s impressive run in Madrid has propelled him to No. 77 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He looks ahead to his next match against either reigning Rio de Janeiro champion Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Sebastian Ofner for a chance at the fourth round.
Earlier in the day, Lorenzo Musetti also made headlines with a 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Hubert Hurkacz, improving his record to 3-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup. Musetti is slowly bouncing back from an injury layoff, having previously retired while leading two sets to love against Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
After early exits at Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, Musetti reached the quarter-finals in Barcelona last week, signaling a return to form. His second-round win over Hurkacz is a reminder of the level he can reach in Madrid, where he enjoyed a semi-final run last year during a remarkable clay-court season.
Now ranked No. 10 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Musetti is set to face Tallon Griekspoor, who comfortably defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-4.
