Ben Shelton successfully defended his Canadian Open title in Montreal by defeating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final on Thursday. The 24-year-old American became the seventh man in the Open Era to retain this trophy, joining Lendl, McEnroe, Agassi, Murray, Djokovic and Nadal.
An untouchable serve from start to finish
Shelton did not face a single break point across the entire match. With 7 aces, 22 winners to just 12 unforced errors and an 83% first-serve points won rate, the left-hander was clinical throughout. In the opening set, he broke at 3-3 and 5-3 to take it 6-3. The second set proved far tighter: Nakashima held his ground on serve with determination, forcing a tiebreak where Shelton pulled away to seal it 7-4.
Nakashima exits Montreal with head held high
In his first Masters 1000 final, 28th seed Nakashima put up a creditable fight despite finishing with 19 winners to 21 unforced errors. The 25-year-old American never managed to earn a break point against Shelton, a feat no one achieved all week in Montreal. Shelton extends his winning streak in Canada to 12 consecutive matches across both editions, all without dropping a set.
Shelton joins elite 2000s-born Masters 1000 club
This second Masters 1000 title places Shelton in a select group: he is the third player born in the 2000s to reach that milestone, after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. His 2026 record stands at four titles with zero finals losses. With the US Open three weeks away, Shelton positions himself as one of the most serious contenders at Flushing Meadows. (Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Majors, Washington Post)
