ATP Tour

Can Shelton go back-to-back in Canada or will Nakashima clinch his first Masters 1000 crown?

All eyes will be on Montreal on Thursday, when Ben Shelton meets Brandon Nakashima in the National Bank Open presented by Rogers final, not before 8 p.m. ET/2 a.m CEST.

Twelve months ago, Shelton enjoyed his biggest breakout moment when he captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto. The 23-year-old American has once again looked razor sharp on the hard courts in Canada during the past 10 days and is now just one victory from making another big splash at the top of men’s tennis.

On paper, the lefty arrived in Montreal in good shape, having won a personal-best three tour-level titles in 2026. However, scratching beneath the surface and you’d quickly understand why the American claimed he was ‘frustrated with his season’ last month in Washington.

Before Montreal, the 23-year-old had won just one match across four Masters 1000 events this year, while he suffered early exits at Roland Garros (R2) and Wimbledon (R1). For a player who often delivers on the biggest stages, the disappointment was understandable. Yet, in Montreal, Shelton has his swagger back.

The American has blitzed through the field while other Top-10 stars have fallen, downing Learner Tien, Jakub Mensik, Joao Fonseca, Zizou Bergs and Jenson Brooksby in straight sets. He has also been the only Top-10 player left in the field since the start of the fourth round but has handled the increased expectation with ease.

So, with the form Shelton is in and the record he owns in Canada (11-0 since 2025), surely he is set to leave Montreal with a second Masters 1000 crown? If only it were that simple…

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On the other side of the net in Thursday’s final is Nakashima. The American poured cold water on the rapidly growing Rafael Jodar hype in the semi-finals when he played lights-out tennis to sink the Spaniard in straight sets and reach his first Masters 1000 final.

The 25-year-old had never previously been beyond the fourth round at this level, but he has had skin in the game at the top level for several years now. Consistently ranked around No. 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the former Next Gen ATP Finals champion has always been a clean ball striker who has caused problems for the top players in the draw.

However, it has all fully clicked in the past month. Nakashima reached the semi-finals in Washington at the start of August when he defeated Top-10 star Alex de Minaur and Mensik, and in Montreal he has pushed past Jodar, Luciano Darderi, Arthur Rinderknech, Titouan Droguet and Daniel Altmaier to advance to his fifth tour-level final and first above ATP 250 level.

Now in red-hot form, who knows what is possible on Thursday.

“I wasn't thinking about making the final that much. Going into the tournament, I knew I was playing at a really high level, so I knew that I could go on a deep run here… Obviously this is definitely a top-three moment for me in my career, for sure,” Nakashima said ahead of the final.

Shelton takes a sizeable 5-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into the title match, which is the first all-American Masters 1000 final since Cincinnati in 2003 (Roddick d. Fish) and 15th in series history (since 1990).

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While four of those five victories have also come on hard courts, Shelton is not taking anything for granted against Nakashima, who looks revitalised after he began working with Wayne Ferreira in June.

“He's a great player. His game has got better and better each year. His forehand has turned into a huge weapon. His serve has always been a massive weapon. He's got a great world-class backhand, one of the best in the world, and he can play all-court tennis,” Shelton said when asked about Nakashima.

“He's played great this week, played an outstanding level against Jodar, and he's a force to be reckoned with on every surface. So I think it will be a great match. I think it will be a battle, one that I'm really looking forward to. A little bit different style than some of the other guys I've played this week, and I think that it's a great matchup for the fans.”

Nakashima, seeking his second title following San Diego in 2022, will look to use his rock-solid backhand to neutralise the lefty Shelton forehand in the crosscourt exchanges, while he will need to serve well once again, with Shelton giving little up on his own delivery in Montreal. Shelton has not lost his serve in three of his five matches this fortnight, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Shelton received a surprise visit from girlfriend and football star Trinity Rodman earlier this week and will hope to give her even more reason to smile on Thursday when he chases his seventh tour-level title in what is his ninth final. Shelton would rise to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings with victory, while Nakashima would climb to No. 13. Nakashima is already up to No. 22 in the Live Rankings, so is guaranteed to leave Canada at a career high. The winner would also head to Cincinnati with $1,151,420 in prize money.

So, with everything set, it is time to sit back and watch the sixth Masters 1000 final of the year take place from 8 pm. Local time/2 a.m. CEST on Thursday/Friday morning.