Shelton Defends Canadian Masters 1000 Crown

Ben Shelton defended his National Bank Open crown in Montreal, beating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) to join an exclusive list. Only three other men this century — Murray, Djokovic and Nadal — had kept the Canadian Masters 1000 title.

A break that decided the match

The final turned in the eighth game of the first set. At 3-3, Shelton struck a return winner to grab the first break, and from there he did not let go.

He never faced a break point all afternoon. His serve touched 230 km/h, and he closed the tiebreak with the same clean striking he carried all week.

Four titles, one flawless week

The win stretched his record against Nakashima to 6-0. It was his fourth ATP trophy of 2026, adding to Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart, and the seventh of his young career.

Shelton became the first man to repeat at the event since Rafael Nadal won in 2019. He did it without dropping a single set — a sharp change from his three-set battles in Toronto a year earlier.

"This week was a massive stepping-stone," he told reporters. "I would say even more than what I did in Toronto last year because of the way that I did it. I thought I was much more clinical, more focused."

The run lifted him to a career-high World No. 6, confirming that his first Masters crown in 2025 was only the start.