Wimbledon 2025: Ben Shelton vs Alex Bolt preview, head-to-head, odds, prediction, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (10) Ben Shelton vs (Q) Alex Bolt

Date: July 1, 2025

Tournament: Wimbledon

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize Money: £53,550,000

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, ESPN | UK - BBC | Canada - TSN, RDS

Ben Shelton vs Alex Bolt preview

Shelton at the 2025 BOSS OPEN (Image Source: Getty)

Tenth-seed Ben Shelton will take on qualifier Alex Bolt in the first round of the 2025 Wimbledon on July 1, 2025. The winner will face Rinky Hijikata or David Goffin in the next round.

Shelton played three tournaments on grass prior to Wimbledon. With just two wins in five matches, it has been a grass swing to forget so far for the American. His best performance came at the Boss Open, where he defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Jiri Lehecka to reach the semifinals. However, he failed to reach the final after losing to Alexander Zverev.

Shelton suffered defeats in his opening matches at the HSBC Championships and the Mallorca Championships. At last year's Wimbledon, the American lost to Jannik Sinner in the fourth round.

Meanwhile, Bolt mainly played in Challenger tournaments on grass this season. He suffered quarter-final and first-round exits in the Birmingham and Ilkley Challenger events, respectively. The Australian then lost to Jacob Fearnley in the first round of the HSBC Championships.

At Wimbledon, Bolt registered wins against Harold Mayot, Eliot Spizzirri, and Martin Landaluce in the qualifiers to reach the main draw. He suffered a first-round exit at the grass-court Grand Slam last time around.

Ben Shelton vs Alex Bolt head-to-head

This will be their first meeting on the tour. Hence, the head-to-head stands at 0-0 ahead of Tuesday's fixture.

Ben Shelton vs Alex Bolt odds

Player Name	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Ben Shelton	-350	+1.5 (-800)	Over 40.5 (-115)
Alex Bolt	+260	-1.5 (+400)	Under 40.5 (-125)

Ben Shelton vs Alex Bolt prediction

Bolt in action at the 2024 Adelaide International (Image Source: Getty)

Shelton is not the best on grass, and his recent form has been concerning. However, the youngster will not have much trouble in the early stages of the tournament.

Bolt has the advantage of having already experienced the court conditions at Wimbledon. His overall play in the qualifiers was impressive. However, getting the better of Shelton would still be an uphill task.

Shelton is the clear winner heading into the match. His powerful serves and groundstrokes would prove too difficult for Bolt to overcome. Hence, the American is expected to reach the second round.

Pick: Shelton to win in four sets.

About the author

Gautham's passion for tennis paved his path to a career in journalism at Sportskeeda, where he has been working for almost two years. Before joining the company, he sharpened his writing skills at The Bridge, covering football as a journalist.

With over 700 articles under his belt at Sportskeeda already, Gautham continues to deliver top-notch articles that cater to readers' interests. Before sharing his insights, he diligently cross-references information from various sources and stays updated by following key figures on social media, always striving to cater to readers' interests.

His ultimate goal is to earn the respect of his colleagues and retire with pride, akin to his idol Roger Federer. While his admiration for the 'Swiss Maestro' is unshakeable, he recognizes Novak Djokovic as the GOAT and believes that the Serb's records speak for themselves.

He is known for his strong opinions, including his firm belief that certain aspects of tennis, like let, should be reconsidered or removed altogether. When he's away from his keyboard, Gautham finds comfort in playing football, reading books, and listening to music.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar