Ben Shelton Claims BMW Open Crown And Drives Off In iX3

Redemption tasted sweet for Ben Shelton on the Munich clay this weekend, as the 23-year-old American roared past Flavio Cobolli to capture the BMW Open by Bitpanda 2026 and cruise away in a brand-new BMW iX3 50 xDrive. After steering home a narrow defeat to Alexander Zverev in last year’s showpiece, the second seed refused to let history repeat itself, dismantling his Italian opponent 6-2, 7-5 in front of a roaring 6,000-strong Centre Court crowd. Cobolli had earlier parked Zverev’s title defence in the semi-finals, but Shelton’s thunderous serve and aggressive baseline power proved too much to handle. The triumph marks his fifth ATP Tour victory and second on clay, cementing his status as a firm crowd favourite in Bavaria.

Alongside the traditional leather trousers and 500 ranking points, Shelton revved off into the sunset behind the wheel of the gleaming BMW iX3 50 xDrive, the first Neue Klasse model to hit the road. The all-electric saloon represents a significant gear-shift forward for the Munich manufacturer, showcasing a fresh design language, cutting-edge digitalisation and an impressive WLTP range of up to 805 kilometres. The vehicle formed part of a fully electrified shuttle fleet, which also featured the hydrogen-powered BMW X5, clocking more than 65,000 kilometres over the course of the tournament and ferrying players, guests and fans smoothly between venues.

Approximately 70,000 spectators poured through the gates during tournament week, witnessing a blistering 300 aces delivered across singles and doubles action. Each ace translates directly into a coaching hour donated by the BMW Group to the FUTURE ACES programme, which supports disadvantaged young people through tennis. Launched last year with MTTC Iphitos and organiser MMP EVENTS, the initiative already has six youngsters fully integrated into regular club training, with a fresh cohort set to join following this year’s tournament. One such session even unfolded during the event itself, attended by tournament director Patrik Kühnen and rising German talent Justin Engel.

Tim Beltermann, Head of BMW Germany, praised the electrified atmosphere, noting that Shelton had battled through the strongest field in the tournament’s 39-year history to earn his winner’s wheels. Shelton himself was quick to heap praise on the Munich faithful, describing Kids Day as one of his favourite stops on the circuit and expressing hopes of returning for years to come. Kühnen reflected on a week packed with Grand Slam-calibre match-ups, applauding the passionate, offensive tennis on display throughout the draw. The doubles crown, meanwhile, stayed local as Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner overcame French pair Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti 6-4, 6-7, 12-10 to lift their maiden ATP doubles trophy.

The BMW iX3 50 xDrive proved a fitting reward, having already accelerated to glory as 2026 World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle. With charging speeds reaching 400 kW, energy consumption between 15.1 and 17.9 kWh per 100 kilometres, and the innovative Panoramic iDrive interior, it delivers performance that matches Shelton’s own game. Elsewhere at MTTC Iphitos, the Allianz Para Trophy reached new heights as a 500-category tournament, with Gustavo Fernandez claiming the Open Division against Stephane Houdet, and Sam Schroder powering past Guy Sasson to take the inaugural Quad Division title.