The Montreal Masters 1000 finally got its main draw underway on Monday, August 4, 2026, with a marathon schedule made necessary by the heavy rain that had shut down the weekend. Between Gaël Monfils' historic victory at age 39 and Matteo Berrettini's surprise elimination, this catch-up day delivered on all fronts.
Monfils makes history
The image of the day will be Monfils walking off Centre Court at IGA Stadium to a roaring ovation after his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Poland's Kamil Majchrzak. The Frenchman, on his farewell tour in 2026, recorded his first tour-level win since Monte-Carlo in April. By winning at this age, he becomes the second-oldest man to claim a singles victory at the Canadian Open in the Open Era, behind only Richard Gonzales, who was 42 when he last did so in 1970.
Monfils had admitted before the tournament that his farewell tour was emotionally exhausting, confessing that the public support was giving him energy he never imagined. On court, that energy translated into an attacking and spectacular display, true to the style that has made him one of the most beloved players on tour for two decades. In what is his 15th and final appearance at the Canadian tournament, he now holds a career record of 25 wins and 13 losses at this event.
Navone stuns Berrettini
The other standout result on Monday was Berrettini's defeat to Argentina's Mariano Navone, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 in 2 hours and 36 minutes. The Italian, who led 3-0 in their head-to-head prior to this match, converted just 1 of his 12 break point opportunities. This setback marks another roadblock for Berrettini, who has been searching for consistency since his injury comeback.
A Monday under pressure
The rain that drenched Montreal on Sunday had forced the postponement of nearly all first-round matches, creating an unprecedented scheduling backlog. Organizers had to compress dozens of matches into a single Monday, imposing a relentless pace on players and fans alike. Among the suspended matches from the previous day, those between Nuno Borges and Aleksandar Kovacevic, as well as Michael Zheng and Miomir Kecmanovic, were set to resume after being interrupted at one set apiece.
What comes next in Montreal
The seeded players, who received first-round byes, will enter the fray starting Tuesday for the second round. Alexander Zverev, the No. 1 seed, and Felix Auger-Aliassime, the local favorite, will be among the first to take the court. The draw remains wide open in the absence of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, with all three top-ranked players having declined their invitations.
Key facts from the day: Monfils, 39, becomes the second-oldest winner in Canadian Open history. Navone eliminates Berrettini 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 with 11 break points saved out of 12. The first-round schedule, originally spread across Saturday and Sunday, was compressed into a single Monday due to rain.
