ATP Tour

Scouting Report: Zverev, home hope Auger-Aliassime headline Montreal field

The world’s top stars are preparing for a return to ATP Masters 1000 action in Montreal, where the National Bank Open presented by Rogers begins Sunday at IGA Stadium.

Alexander Zverev is the top seed in Quebec, while local favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second. American Ben Shelton, who lifted the trophy 12 months ago in Toronto, defends his title at the Canadian Masters 1000 event.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers.

1) Zverev leads field: The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Zverev will be chasing his second title in Montreal after he previously triumphed there in 2017. The 29-year-old is 44-11 for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, a tally that includes his title run at Roland Garros. Zverev will take on Tallon Griekspoor or Lorenzo Sonego in his opening match as he returns to action for the first time since reaching the Wimbledon championship match.

2) Can Felix fire at home?: Auger-Aliassime will compete under his highest seeding in seven main-draw appearances at his home Masters 1000 tournament. The 25-year-old, who was born in Montreal and raised in Quebec City, will play as the second seed and be hopeful of improving on his 5-7 record at the event. Arriving fresh from a quarter-final run at Wimbledon, Auger-Aliassime plays Luca Van Assche or a qualifier first.

3) Shelton defending champ: The big-serving lefty Shelton enjoyed a Masters 1000 breakthrough in Toronto a year ago, when he lifted his maiden trophy at that level. The 23-year-old American, who began his North American hard-court summer with a quarter-final run in Washington, has won three titles so far this year, one each on hard courts, clay and grass. The fifth-seeded Shelton starts his title defence against Jenson Brooksby or a qualifier.

4) Medvedev among former Canada titlists: Daniil Medvedev is the other Top-10 player in the draw to have tasted title success in Canada. The 30-year-old, who triumphed in Toronto in 2021, will seek a fast start to his Montreal campaign against Botic van de Zandschulp or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. As well as Zverev, Shelton and Medvedev, the other former National Bank Open presented by Rogers champion in the draw is 2022 winner Pablo Carreno Busta, while 2024 titlist Alexei Popyrin competes in qualifying.

5) Top-10 threats: Alex de Minaur and Flavio Cobolli will each be eyeing their first Masters 1000 crown in Montreal, while Taylor Fritz chases his second after his 2022 Indian Wells triumph. De Minaur reached the final in Toronto in 2023, when he fell to Jannik Sinner, and will be looking for a quick response in Canada this year after a quarter-final exit in Washington.

6) In-form home hope Shapovalov: Alongside Auger-Aliassime, four other Canadians will line up in the Montreal draw (not including qualifiers). Among them is Denis Shapovalov, a 2017 semi-finalist, who will arrive fresh from an impressive week in Los Cabos — Shapovalov plays Arthur Gea in Saturday’s final at the Mexican ATP 250, where he is chasing his second consecutive title.

7) Draper to return: Former World No. 4 Jack Draper has not competed since Eastbourne in June due to a recurrence of a left arm injury, and the Briton will hope for a winning return when he takes on Terence Atmane in the first round. It will be the first Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter between Draper, a 2022 quarter-finalist in Montreal, and Frenchman Atmane.

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8) Monfils’ final Canada appearance: Gael Monfils' next stop in his final season on the ATP Tour is Montreal, where he was a semi-finalist in 2019 (Monfils also reached that stage in Toronto in 2016). The 39-year-old wild card plays Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak in the opening round, with the winner earning a clash with 12th seed Learner Tien.

9) #NextGenATP Jodar on the charge: Rafael Jodar will compete as a Top-20 player for the first time: The 19-year-old is already up to No. 19 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings ahead of his Washington semi-final meeting with Alejandro Tabilo on Saturday night. Jodar, who would rise to World No. 12 if he goes on to lift the trophy in D.C., will make his National Bank Open presented by Rogers debut against Marton Fucsovics or Corentin Moutet.

10) Cash/Glasspool defend crown: Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool return to the tournament at which they claimed their first Masters 1000 title as a team 12 months ago. The British duo, which is 10th in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, is joined in the Montreal draw by joint-World No. 1s Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten and two-time event winners Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos.