Clare Balding explains strange markings on Ben Shelton's shoulders at Wimbledon

Wimbledon fans were left a little perplexed after spotting strange markings on Ben Shelton's shoulders, with Clare Balding offering an explanation. The young American was dumped out of the competition on Wednesday after losing his quarter-final clash with Jannik Sinner.

Shelton put up a good fight, despite being beaten in straight sets by the Italian world No. 1. But it wasn't just his performance that drew attention - his skin did too. Several dark, circular marks were visible on his shoulders and back throughout the match on No. 1 Court, leaving fans puzzled. However, BBC presenter Balding clarified that the marks were no cause for concern. "If you're wondering what the rings are on Shelton's left shoulder, that's a technique that the swimmers use quite a lot," the 54-year-old said during a break in play after the second set.

"It's called cupping and basically they use cups to create a suction and raise the blood upwards in the underlying tissue, and it promotes blood flow to the area," Balding added. "It can relieve muscle tension and pain too, so that's what those rings are."

Cupping therapy is the practice of putting cups on a person's skin for a few minutes to create suction. The idea behind it is to draw blood to or away from parts of your body, helping with pain relief and inflammation. It's commonplace in many sports, but marks are often hidden behind clothing or equiptment.

That isn't the case with Shelton, who typically competes wearing sleeveless tops. Many fans noticed the cup marks during the 22-year-old's fourth round win over Lorenzo Sonego on Monday, prompting annother on-air explanation from Balding.

Shelton's run to the quarter-finals this year was his best-ever performance at Wimbledon. Last year, he was knocked out in the fourth round and in 2023, his debut appearance at the All England Club, he was beaten in the second.

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It also saw him surpass his father Bryan Shelton's best effort at the tournament. The 59-year-old, who was spotted cheering his son on from the stands against Sinner, spent eight years as a pro, winning two ATP titles. The furthest he ever went in a Grand Slam was the fourth round of Wimbledon, achieving the feat in 1994.

Sinner, meanwhile, advanced to the semi-finals of Wimbledon for just the second time in his career. The three-time Grand Slam champion, 23, will face seven-time SW19 champ Novak Djokovic after he defeated Flavio Cobolli, with the victor facing either Carlos Alcaraz or Taylor Fritz in the final.

Sinner has dropped only two sets at Wimbledon so far, and just seven across all Grand Slams this season (four if you exclude the French Open final). Wimbledon remains the one major where he's yet to fully impose himself, having won the Australian Open and US Open, and reached the final at Roland Garros.

Now, just two matches from glory, Sinner has the opportunity to cement his dominance across all surfaces. But with Djokovic next up and a potential Alcaraz rematch after that, he'll need to summon his very best to seize it.