Ben Shelton successfully defended his title at the Canadian Open, defeating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6 in the final held at Sobeys Stadium. The victory extended Shelton’s winning streak at the tournament to 12 matches and marked his fourth singles title of the season. Beyond the baseline dominance, the championship Sunday ended with a memorable post-match speech exchange regarding the host cities that caught the crowd and his opponent off guard.
Shelton did not drop a serve throughout the entire final match, firing seven aces and securing 86 percent of his first-serve points to fend off Nakashima’s eight aces. The fifth-seeded American broke twice in the opening set to establish control before navigating a tight second-set tiebreak, ultimately winning it 7-4 to seal the championship.
The result extends Shelton’s head-to-head record against Nakashima to 6-0. For Nakashima, despite missing out on the trophy, the run to the final marks a career-high climb to world No. 22 in the ATP rankings, while Shelton’s defense of his crown lifts him to a projected world No. 6.
A Tale of Two Cities in Post-Match Speeches
While the tennis on court was sharp, the microphones after the final created an unexpected stir. Nakashima took the microphone first to thank the Montreal fans for a memorable week that included his run to the championship match. In his address, he delivered a blunt assessment of his preferences between the tournament’s alternating host cities.
“The support you guys give to the tournament and all the players is really unlike anything else,” Nakashima told the crowd. “I’m going to be honest, really enjoy here in Montreal more than Toronto. I’m not just saying that because sitting here in the final today, but even before this week, I really enjoyed my time here, thanks to all the people. Feels such like home here, so really appreciate all you guys. Unfortunately, we’ll be back in Toronto next year, but I really look forward to coming back here in two years.”
The remarks left Shelton momentarily stunned before he stepped up to deliver his winning speech. Attempting to navigate a diplomatic path between the two metropolitan venues, Shelton’s comments drew an immediate reaction from the audience.
“It’s crazy that we were here a year ago… well, I guess in Toronto,” Shelton said during his victory speech. “I’m not going to say anything bad about Toronto. I love Toronto too. But I love Montreal just as much.”
The crowd voiced their disapproval at the mention of Toronto before Shelton course-corrected with praise for Montreal, winning back the room. Analysts note that Nakashima’s affinity for Montreal may stem from stark differences in his on-court results at the venue compared to Toronto. While he exited in the early rounds of the Toronto editions in 2023 and 2025, his performances in Montreal include a Round of 16 appearance in 2024 and this year’s run to the final.
Joining an Elite Century Club
Shelton’s successful defense places him in rare company on the ATP Tour. He is just the fourth man to successfully defend the Canadian Open title this century, joining a legendary trio of former champions.
Andy Murray was the first player in the modern era to achieve the feat, winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Novak Djokovic followed by capturing consecutive crowns in 2011 and 2012, while Rafael Nadal achieved the double in 2018 and 2019.
This championship acts as a crucial rebound for Shelton, who suffered a disappointing first-round exit at Wimbledon and a quarterfinal loss to Alejandro Tabilo at the Citi Open. The hard-court victory reestablishes his momentum during the summer swing.
Looking Ahead to the Cincinnati Masters
Neither player has time to dwell on the Canadian Open results as the hard-court summer accelerates. Shelton heads straight to Ohio to begin his Cincinnati Masters campaign, with his first-round opponent set to be determined through qualifying matches.