ATP Tour

Scouting Report: Zverev, Fritz, Shelton headline Toronto

The first of two ATP Masters 1000 events in North America commences on Sunday, when Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti and Ben Shelton lead the field at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

The expanded 12-day event also features American Frances Tiafoe, #NextGenATP Brazilian Joao Fonseca, Miami champion Jakub Mensik and Top 10 stars Holger Rune and Andrey Rublev. ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the hard-court tournament.

1) Top seed Zverev: Zverev leads the field in Toronto and could face #NextGenATP Joao Fonseca in the third round. The 28-year-old German, who won the title in Montreal in 2017, is seeking his eighth ATP Masters 1000 crown and first since Paris last year. Zverev arrives in Canada off the back of a shock first-round exit to Arthur Rinderknech at Wimbledon.

2) Fritz chasing second ATP Masters 1000 title: World No. 4 Fritz has never been beyond the third round in Toronto but is in steady form. He won the title in Eastbourne, reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and enjoyed a quarter-final showing on hard courts in Washington. The American, who clinched his only Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells in 2022, is in the same quarter as sixth seed Rublev, who reached the final in Montreal last year.

3) Musetti, Shelton, Rune make up Top 5 seeds: Musetti went 19-4 during the European clay swing this year but lost in the opening-round at Wimbledon and in Washington. Shelton has produced his best level in North America in the past, highlighted by his 2023 US Open semi-final showing. Rune was forced to withdraw from Washington due to a back injury but posted on social media on Friday that he has now recovered. Shelton is seeded to meet countryman Frances Tiafoe and would take a 3-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into that match, having beaten Tiafoe in the Washington quarter-finals on Friday.

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4) PIF ATP Live Race To Turin continues to take shape: Musetti, Fritz and Shelton are currently sixth, seventh and eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and will hope to boost their Nitto ATP Finals chances with deep runs. Behind them, ninth-placed Alex de Minaur and 10th-placed Casper Ruud are both in action. De Minaur has enjoyed success in Toronto in the past, reaching the final in 2023. Ruud’s best showing came in 2021 when he advanced to the quarter-finals. The Norwegian won his first Masters 1000 crown this season in Madrid.

5) #NextGenATP stars Mensik, Fonseca, Tien compete: Mensik, Fonseca and Learner Tien are all set for their Toronto debuts. Miami champ Mensik is the 12th seed and takes on Aleksandar Kovacevic or a qualifier in the second round. Fonseca and Tien open against qualifiers. Fonseca’s best result at a Masters 1000 this year came on hard courts in Miami, where he beat Tien en route to the third round.

6) Fils returns from injury: Frenchman Arthur Fils will compete for the first time since May, when he was forced to withdraw ahead of his third-round match at Roland Garros due to a stress fracture in his back. The 21-year-old, who is making his debut in Toronto, holds a 21-10 record on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

7) Felix, Shapovalov lead home hopes: Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov lead Canadian hopes. Both Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov have won two tour-level titles this season, with the latter triumphing on hard courts in Los Cabos last week. Shapovalov reached the semi-finals in Montreal as a teenager in 2017, upsetting Rafael Nadal. Canadian Gabriel Diallo, who won his first ATP Tour title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in June, is the 27th seed.

8) Former Canada champs Medvedev, Popyrin: Daniil Medvedev and Alexei Popyrin won titles at the Masters 1000 event in Canada in 2021 (Toronto) and 2024 (Montreal), respectively. Medvedev, seeking his first trophy since Rome in 2023, plays Luciano Darderi or a qualifier in his opening match, while Popyrin meets Laslo Djere or Canadian Nicolas Arseneault. Medvedev is seeded to play Popyrin in the third round.

9) First year as 12-day expanded event: For the first time in its history, the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers will adopt a 12-day format, aligning with the expanded scheduling of most ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (7/9). This change means more matches, more sessions, and more chances for fans to catch the world’s best in action.

The event begins on Saturday, July 26, with the popular Family Weekend featuring kid-friendly programming, player appearances, and access to early-round qualifying matches. From August 4-7, the tournament enters Championship Week with night sessions only, offering a high-energy primetime atmosphere for fans and a more viewer-friendly format.

10) Host of singles stars in doubles action: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic lead the doubles field as the top seeds, while there are a number of singles stars in action. Fils teams with Shelton, Rublev plays with Karen Khachanov, Mensik joins forces with Jiri Lehecka and Musetti plays with Lorenzo Sonego.