American defeats fellow countryman Nakashima in final.
American tennis star Ben Shelton successfully defended his National Bank Open presented by Rogers title in Montreal on Thursday, defeating fellow American Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) in the final.
The victory made Shelton the fourth man this century to successfully defend the Canada title, joining an elite list that includes Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Shelton, the 2025 Toronto champion, completed his six-match run without dropping a set and produced another impressive performance against Nakashima, controlling the match with his powerful serve, aggressive forehand and strong return game.
The fifth seed secured the first break of serve at 3-3 in the opening set with a blistering return winner and maintained his advantage to take the set 6-3. He continued to dictate the tempo in the second set and eventually prevailed in the tie-break 7-4.
Shelton did not face a single break point during the one-hour, 27-minute contest, while converting two of the four break opportunities he created.
After sealing the victory with another forehand winner, the 23-year-old celebrated with his family and player box before returning to the court to mark his latest achievement.
“For me to play the way that I played this week to go through this draw speaks to the work I have been putting in,” Shelton said after the match. “It also speaks to my mental toughness, my ability to focus through everything that was going on this week.”
The Montreal triumph is Shelton’s fourth title of the 2026 season, following victories in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. It also takes his career tally to seven ATP Tour titles.
Shelton has now won all six of his Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Nakashima.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way I won this week,” Shelton said. “The way that I moved on the court, the way I struck the ball, my serve and return. I thought I was versatile. I played all-court tennis. And I’m super happy with the way that the match turned out.”
For Nakashima, the defeat ended an impressive run to his first Masters 1000 final. The 25-year-old American was seeking his second ATP Tour title, nearly four years after winning his first on home soil in San Diego in 2022.
Despite falling short in Montreal, Nakashima will rise to a career-high No. 22 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his run to the final.
“It really is one of the best weeks of my life,” Nakashima said, while thanking his team and family for their support throughout his career.
