Ben Shelton, the No. 4 seed and highest-ranked male player remaining in the Wimbledon men's singles draw, was eliminated in a surprising first-round match on Wednesday. The American was defeated by Finland’s Otto Virtanen, ranked 137th in the world, in a five-set contest that lasted four hours and 21 minutes on Court 2. The final score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (10), 6-2, 7-6.

Shelton expressed frustration and defended his approach to the tournament’s draw, stating, “I’m not a dumbass. I have no clue in terms [of the draw]. It’s not something that I look at.” Prior to the event, he had been considered a strong contender for the title, positioned in the opposite half of the draw from top players Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

On the women’s side, Elina Svitolina, the No. 8 seed, also exited the tournament earlier than expected. The Ukrainian player lost her first-round match 7-5, 6-2 to fellow countrywoman Daria Snigur. With Svitolina’s departure, no women’s seeds above No. 8 remain in the competition.

Shelton’s early departure marks the highest-seeded men’s player to be eliminated in the initial round, signaling a notable upset in this year’s Wimbledon championships. Meanwhile, the tournament continues with other top seeds aiming to advance through the draw in their pursuit of the prestigious Grand Slam title.