Novak Djokovic's schedule after the Wimbledon Championships surprised both fans and insiders. The former world number 1 decided to skip the Toronto Masters 1000 and this choice was not particularly surprising, considering that the Serbian legend has not played in Canada since 2018 and definitely needed a break after his loss to Jannik Sinner at the Championships.
However, most experts expected that the 38-year-old from Belgrade would at least participate in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 – scheduled in Ohio from August 7 to 18 – in order to play some official matches on the hard courts in view of the US Open.
The final Major of the season will begin on August 24 in New York and it is now clear to everyone that Nole will only play mixed doubles with Olga Danilovic before making her singles debut.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has spent the last few weeks on vacation with his family and friends, enjoying his free time first in Croatia and then in Greece. Novak has not yet resumed practicing and it is not known if he has solved the muscle problem that had conditioned him during the semifinal of the Championships.
Nole is still resting
A few days ago, Djokovic's presence at the second edition of the 'Six Kings Slam' to be held in Saudi Arabia was announced.
In the latest episode of his podcast, American legend Jimmy Connors admitted that he was surprised by Nole's recent choices: "I have to admit that his schedule worries me a bit. He hasn't played a hard court match so far and it would have been good to see him in Cincinnati to test his level, but instead he preferred to stay home. We don't know what to expect from him, although we can't underestimate one of the best in history. We've seen him on vacation for the last month, that's all we know."
The Serbian ace had missed both American Masters 1000 last season, before being prematurely eliminated in New York.
Karen Khachanov suggests he wasn't that surprised by the Toronto crowd's reaction to Victoria Mboko's Montreal triumph as the Russian says stuff like this is pretty common in Canada.
In case you missed it, the clock struck at 30 minutes of play in the Toronto Masters final when the crowd started going nuts – it happened as Khachanov was preparing to serve against Ben Shelton. The Russian stood there waiting for the spectators to calm down, while his American rival looked in disbelief and had no idea what was happening. The chair umpire provided quick explanation by telling the 22-year-old that the crowd was probably celebrating Mboko's win over Naomi Osaka in the Montreal final.
Crazy scenes in the Shelton & Khachanov Toronto final.
The crowd erupts mid-match because 18 year old Victoria Mboko just beat Naomi Osaka to win the title in Montreal.
When the play continued, Khachanov managed to win a very tight opener against Shelton with a 7-6 (5) scoreline. Unfortunately for the Russian, he didn't manage to complete the job as Shelton came back from a set down to win 6-7 (5) 6-4 7-6 (3).
Khachanov comments on the viral Toronto final interruption
In his post-final presser, Khachanov was asked whether he had experienced anything like that before. And he said that something similar happened when Denis Shapovalov upset Rafael Nadal at the Canadian Open eight years ago.
"I think in Canada it's happening, but, yeah, if I remember, I think every year it happens, you know, from city to city they cheer for a local player, yeah. I remember I think in long time ago it was with Shapovalov, when he reached also like first time semifinals I think when he beat Rafa. I was playing I guess in Toronto, and then I remember something like this was happening, yeah," the 29-year-old said.
Blood, sweat, tears and – finally – triumph. Ben Shelton gave it all in Toronto and took home the hardware as the youngest American to win a Masters title since Andy Roddick in 2004, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(3) in two hours and 47 minutes.
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Shelton is the first American man to win the title in Canada since Roddick in 2003, and he will rise to a career-high ranking of No.6.
“I feel so blessed,” Shelton said. “Just to have opportunities like this. The joy that I feel today isn’t just because of the win. It’s because of the people that I get to spend every day with.”
It was a hard-hitting tussle with Khachanov, the pair’s second career meeting which saw Khachanov jump out in front on the strength of a solid first-set tiebreak.
But Shelton would not be denied. The 22-year-old American answered back, going unbroken in sets two and three and winning four of the final five points in the deciding set tiebreak to earn his third and biggest ATP title.
Shelton defeated No. 8-seeded Alex de Minaur and No. 4-seeded Taylor Fritz to advance to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final, and survived third-set tiebreaks to defeat Brandon Nakashima and Flavio Cobolli earlier in the tournament.
When the victory was clinched, Shelton made his way to the crowd to share the moment with his coach and father Bryan. His coach encouraged him to step into the court and take balls earlier against Khachanov, and the strategy paid dividends.
How special is that? Ben Shelton wins his maiden Masters title in Toronto, defeating Khachanov, 6-7 6-4 7-6. pic.twitter.com/iIcUwBSzXK
“I love the way that he coaches me,” Shelton said. “He usually leaves stuff up to me. He gives me a lot of suggestions. He knows me better than anyone in the world, so he’s well qualified to give me those suggestions.”
Khachanov went more than six years between Masters finals, a record, but could not summon the magic that he displayed when winning the Paris title in 2018.
Still, he will rise to No.12 in the rankings after a strong effort that saw him save a match point while knocking off top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semis.
“Definitely still it’s a positive, great tournament, great run,” he said. “I had some great battles, great wins against top guys. So that’s why I give credit to myself for doing that, and that’s it.
“I mean, you can win, you can lose, so you just try to regroup and be ready for the next tournament, it’s another Masters 1000, and then it’s a Grand Slam. So this is tennis, so sometimes you have to regroup quickly and be fit, be ready for the next match.”
Grand Slam champions keep stepping up to face teen sensation Victoria Mboko in Montreal, and the kid keeps knocking them down.
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For the third time in six matches at the Omnium Banque Nationale, Mboko defeated a former major champion, as she advanced to her maiden WTA final with a 1-6 7-5 7-6(4) victory over Elena Rybakina.
“It was an incredible match,” Mboko, who has also defeated Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff on her way to the final, told the Montreal crowd. “I want to say thanks to everyone who supported me tonight. It was electric, and I’m very happy – oh my god!”
Mboko battled over two hours and 45 minutes, rallying from a set down and twice from a break down in the final set as she saved a match point and finally pushed past the No.9 seed in a tiebreak, winning the final three points to lock up a spot in the final where a fourth former major champion – Naomi Osaka – will be waiting.
Osaka defeated Clara Tauson in Wednesday’s second semifinal, 6-2 7-6(7).
Mboko survived despite winning only 35 percent of her second-serve points, thanks to a 72 percent first-serve percentage and a very timely break game. With pinpoint returns, stellar defense, and plenty of guile she earned six breaks of Rybakina’s serve as she locked up her second consecutive Top 20 win and became the youngest woman to reach the final in Canada since Belinda Bencic in 2015.
What was Mboko most proud of?
“I would say my ability to kind of come back in the third set,” she said. “I feel like after I had that fall, I wasn’t in the greatest spirits. Of course, she was playing really great tennis on top of that, but I’m happy that I kept my composure, and I was kind of patient in the right moments.
“I just feel really happy that I was able to bounce back after being down. Even a match point…”
Mboko is also the only Canadian woman to ever defeat three former Slam champions in the same event in Open Era history.
“It was very difficult, Elena is a very good player, but anything can happen,” Mboko said.
The victory was not accomplished without adversity.
Mboko took a fall in the second game of the final set, and had her right wrist examined after the third game, but she was able to play through the pain to get the victory against the woman who knocked her out of the Washington, DC draw last week.
“Unfortunately I fell,” Mboko said. “But everybody was supporting me and pushing me through.”
A remarkable effort from a young woman who is playing in her seventh WTA main draw, and just her third at the WTA 1000 level.
Ranked 85 at the start of the week, Mboko is up to 34 in the WTA live rankings at the moment. She was outside the Top 300 when the season started but 41 wins and just eight losses across all levels have propelled the former junior world No.6 to her current perch.
A Battle Royale
It was tense from start to finish against Rybakina, who rallied from a break down to level at 5-5 in the second set, just two games from the win. But Mboko won eight of the final ten points of the set to force a decider.
In the third, Rybakina was in the driver’s set again, leading 4-2 and 5-3 with a break, but she failed to convert a match point while serving at 5-4 and was broken.
After breaking back in the next game, she was broken at love by Mboko and a tiebreak ensued.
ALLEZ VICKY 💪
Following an EPIC three setter, Victoria Mboko rallies back to defeat Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach her first WTA final!#OBN25pic.twitter.com/1iP9zIHzNw
The Canadian saved her best for last – a line-licking forehand that went for a winner and a 5-4 lead in the breaker. Two points later she sank to her knees in disbelief, another Grand Slam champion, another victim of a raw, talented phenom on the rise.
Blood, sweat, tears and – finally – triumph. Ben Shelton gave it all in Toronto and took home the hardware as the youngest American to win a Masters title since Andy Roddick in 2004, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(3) in two hours and 47 minutes.
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Shelton is the first American man to win the title in Canada since Roddick in 2003, and he will rise to a career-high ranking of No.6.
“I feel so blessed,” Shelton said. “Just to have opportunities like this. The joy that I feel today isn’t just because of the win. It’s because of the people that I get to spend every day with.”
It was a hard-hitting tussle with Khachanov, the pair’s second career meeting which saw Khachanov jump out in front on the strength of a solid first-set tiebreak.
But Shelton would not be denied. The 22-year-old American answered back, going unbroken in sets two and three and winning four of the final five points in the deciding set tiebreak to earn his third and biggest ATP title.
Shelton defeated No. 8-seeded Alex de Minaur and No. 4-seeded Taylor Fritz to advance to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final, and survived third-set tiebreaks to defeat Brandon Nakashima and Flavio Cobolli earlier in the tournament.
When the victory was clinched, Shelton made his way to the crowd to share the moment with his coach and father Bryan. His coach encouraged him to step into the court and take balls earlier against Khachanov, and the strategy paid dividends.
How special is that? Ben Shelton wins his maiden Masters title in Toronto, defeating Khachanov, 6-7 6-4 7-6. pic.twitter.com/iIcUwBSzXK
“I love the way that he coaches me,” Shelton said. “He usually leaves stuff up to me. He gives me a lot of suggestions. He knows me better than anyone in the world, so he’s well qualified to give me those suggestions.”
Khachanov went more than six years between Masters finals, a record, but could not summon the magic that he displayed when winning the Paris title in 2018.
Still, he will rise to No.12 in the rankings after a strong effort that saw him save a match point while knocking off top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semis.
“Definitely still it’s a positive, great tournament, great run,” he said. “I had some great battles, great wins against top guys. So that’s why I give credit to myself for doing that, and that’s it.
“I mean, you can win, you can lose, so you just try to regroup and be ready for the next tournament, it’s another Masters 1000, and then it’s a Grand Slam. So this is tennis, so sometimes you have to regroup quickly and be fit, be ready for the next match.”
Coco Gauff captured her first doubles title in over a year and then hilariously remarked that her "temporary return" to doubles was instant success.
After disappointingly seeing her Montreal singles campaign end in the round-of-16, the American stayed in Canada because she still had doubles going on with fellow American McCartney Kessler. In their first appearance as a pair, the American duo won a total of five matches and impressively beat No. 3 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai 6-4 1-6 13-11 in the final.
For Gauff, this was her third doubles tournament of the year. Previously, the American teamed up with Robin Montgomery in Madrid and with Alexandra Eala in Rome, respectively. The 21-year-old now has 10 doubles titles in her collection.
"Lol temporarily came out of doubles retirement and got a dub!" the top-ranked American female tennis player wrote on her Instagram Story.
Gauff enjoyed big success with Jessica Pegula but they stopped playing together
Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Gauff and Pegula were one of the top teams on the WTA Tour and they won a total of five doubles titles during that period and were also finalists at the 2022 French Open.
Going into the 2024 Paris Olympics, their goal was to capture the gold medal – or at least win any medal. But those hopes were quickly squashed after they picked up a surprise round-of-16 loss to Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
Since then, Gauff and Pegula haven't played together. Earlier this year, Pegula insisted everything was fine between the two but they simply stopped playing doubles because they wanted to focus on singles.
"Coco and I played so much for a couple years there. We did great. A lot of really amazing results and memories. At the same time doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn't want to play as much anymore. The schedule just gets really, really tough. I've barely played this year, probably won't play any of the Grand Slams this year," the 31-year-old explained.
Naomi Osaka is finding her best tennis in her first tournament with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. The four-time major champion defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday night in Montreal, notching five consecutive wins for the first time since 2022, and setting a semifinal with 22-year-old Dane Clara Tauson.
Osaka d. Svitolina 6-2 6-2 in Montreal.
Naomi is into her first WTA 1000 semifinal since 2022
3 match points saved in the 2nd round against Samsonova, and she hasn't looked back since.
It was a dominant performance from Osaka, who reached the last four in Canada for the first time in her career in her sixth career appearance in Canada.
“I think for me I’m just having a lot of fun playing and I’m really glad to be here,” said the 27-year-old former World No.1. “It’s been seven years.”
Osaka broke serve five times from seven opportunities, kept her error count far lower than Svitolina and won 83 percent of her first-serve points to improve to 21-11 on the season.
“I’m really happy,” she told reporters. I”m also really excited. I don’t know. It’s kind of interesting, because I told people this before, but like, obviously after Wimbledon, I was really disappointed. Then I just kind of let go of my expectations, and now we’re here. So I find it kind of ironic, but I’m happy about it.”
With her win Osaka rises to No.29 in the WTA live rankings, which means she will be seeded at the US Open.
Among the handful of household names still very much in the mix ahead of quarterfinal action at the 1000-level events in Canada this week, there are a few newbies who could just be ready to make a big splash.
And a four-time major champion that has not seen much success at the biggest events of late.
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Let’s have a look at some of the players that could produce breakout results over the next three days in Canada.
Alex Michelsen
The 20-year-old American has reached his maiden Masters quarterfinals, and that makes three American men in the quarters of a Masters event for the first time since 2004 Indian Wells: Michelsen, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.
Today Michelsen will face Karen Khachanov in Toronto as he bids to become the youngest American man to reach the semifinals at a Masters event since Andy Roddick won the 2003 title. Michelsen, who will rise to No.28 in the live rankings if he wins, is bidding to become the first player born in 2004 to reach a Masters semifinal.
Clara Tauson
The 22-year-old Dane has already defeated two Top-5 players in 2024. She has now reached her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal and is already up to a new career-high ranking of 17 in the live rankings. She’ll face Madison Keys on Tuesday.
Victoria Mboko
It’s all gravy for the youngest player remaining in the women’s draw – and the last Canadian standing in either event — in Montreal this week, as 18-year-old wild card Victoria Mboko faces Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a spot in the semis on Monday night.
Mboko, making her main draw debut, defeated Coco Gauff to reach her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Same for Bouzas Maneiro, and both players are bidding to reach their first tour-level semifinal.
Ben Shelton
22-year-old American Ben Shelton has already reached the semifinals at a major, but he hasn’t gone there at a Masters event thus far. He’ll have a chance to achieve the feat on Tuesday when he meets Alex de Minaur in Toronto, in a first-time meeting.
Of the eight men remaining in the singles draw in Toronto, only the Americans – Michelsen and Shelton – have yet to reach a Masters final.
ben shelton citi open
Naomi Osaka
Could it be the four-time Slam champion’s time to shine again in Montreal? Naomi Osaka, with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski at the helm, will bid for her first 1000-level semifinal since 2022 in Miami.
The former No.1, who rifled past Anastasija Sevastova in 49 minutes on Sunday, will face former champion Elina Svitolina on Tuesday.
Only four of the remaining eight players left in the Montreal draw have previously won a title at the 1000 level: Madison Keys, Elena Rybakina, Osaka and Svitolina
Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko is on her way to becoming a star. Already turning heads at Roland-Garros, where she reached the third round from qualifying, the Canadian continues to impress on her home soil, where she reached the semifinals at the Omnium Banque Nationale with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain before a thrilled, partisan crowd on Monday night.
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Mboko is the fourth youngest woman to reach the last four at the WTA’s 1000 level event in Canada since 2000, and the youngest since 2015.
“I know it’s not over,” she said. “I’m so excited to be in the semifinals here, it’s been unreal.
“I think just to play in front of the Canadian crowd – I train here and it’s my first time playing in Montreal and it has been an unreal experience and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Mboko will face Elena Rybakina in the semifinals on Wednesday in Montreal. She is slated to crack the Top-50 in next week’s rankings, regardless of how she fares against the former Wimbledon champion in the semifinals.
There were no break points through seven games in a tight opening set, then three in succession as the Canadian locked up the set with her second break for 6-4.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second the Canadian pegged the accelerator and reeled off the final six games to clinch victory in 77 minutes.
There’s no stopping Mboko ‼️
Victoria Mboko has reached the semis of a WTA 1000 event for the first time after beating Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2.#OBN25pic.twitter.com/mGZDDWueoQ
Alexei Popyrin has a very special feeling with the Canadian Open, which takes place in Toronto in this edition. The Australian ace surprised the world in Montreal last season, when he won the first Masters 1000 title of his career by beating Russian star Andrey Rublev in the final.
There is no doubt that the numerous absences among the top players have facilitated Alexei's run again this year, but it must be admitted that he is managing the pressure well and has reached the quarterfinals with full merit. The defending champion defeated both former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev and young Danish star Holger Rune, demonstrating remarkable mental strength even when the situation was not good for him.
Popyrin will face Zverev
His next opponent will be No.1 seed Alexander Zverev, who will compete for a spot in the semifinals in Ontario. The German champion has enormous pressure in this tournament, because most fans and insiders expect him to lift the trophy given the absences of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
However, Sascha will need to play his best tennis if he wants to defeat Popyrin in this tournament. During his last press conference, the Australian player confessed that he feels really comfortable in Canada: "I feel like I can play my best tennis here, even if at the beginning of the tournament I was quite nervous because I knew I had to defend the title I won last year. I'm playing without pressure now and my level is very high, which is why I'll face the next match with serenity and confidence.
I completely forgot about having to defend 1000 points, I just want to play and have fun. The conditions are favorable for my game, because the court is quite fast and gets even faster when it's hot. During the day it's harder to control the ball, but in the evening everything is perfect."
The match between Popyrin and Zverev could be very uncertain than expected.
Alexei Popyrin north of the US border? That’s a good thing for the 25-year-old Aussie, who rallied past Holger Rune on Saturday night in Toronto to stretch his winning streak in Canada to nine victories, 4-6 6-2 6-3.
After the match he signed the camera “I love Canada X 2”.
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Last year’s champion in Montreal reached his second Masters quarterfinal of 2025, and his fourth overall as he took out the 22-year-old World No.9 with an inspired effort.
“I just feel comfortable on these courts, I think the surface is a little bit quicker,” Popyrin said. “I don’t know if it makes sense, but it lets me have a little bit more time on the court, because I hit my first aggressive shot and I can dictate from there.”
Popyrin hit 30 winners against 24 unforced errors; Rune hit 24 winners and 39 unforced.
Ranked 26 and seeded 18 in Toronto, Popyrin has now won consecutive matches against former Top-5 players.
The Aussie went 0 for 11 in break opportunities in the opening set, but converted three break points across the final two sets to level his lifetime head-to-head with Rune at one apiece.
“After the first set I was pissed,” Popyrin said. “But when I came back out to return again, it felt like I was in control of the match. I told myself to be aggressive on the next break point that I got, and from then on I felt quite comfortable.”
Popyrin, who toppled former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev in the third round, is into his first hard court quarterfinal since he claimed the title in Montreal last year, defeating Andrey Rublev in the final.
He will face either top-seeded Alexander Zverev or Francisco Cerundolo in the last eight.
Popyrin saved a pair of break points while serving at 3-1 in the third, after breaking in the previous game. He didn’t look back from there, winning 12 of the final 15 points and breaking Rune again for good measure in the final game.
Coco Gauff made an honest admission following her Montreal exit as the American tennis star admitted that she probably should have played in Washington and tried to kickstart her summer on hard courts in the United States capital.
After losing in the Wimbledon first round, Gauff went a full month without playing a match. This week, the world No. 2 returned to action by kicking off her North American hard-court swing at the WTA 1000 in Montreal. In Canada, the two-time Grand Slam champion heavily struggled with her serve and rhythm, but still managed to clinch ugly wins over Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova before world No. 87 Victoria Mboko handed her a 6-1 6-4 loss.
Across her three matches played, Gauff served 43 double faults and committed over 100 unforced errors. After the Mboko loss, the reigning French Open winner was asked if she had an idea why it was so hard to find her game and rhythm in Montreal.
Gauff: Deciding to practice over playing in Washington maybe wasn't the right decision…
"I don't know. That's a good question, honestly. I felt like in practice I was playing well the last few weeks just practicing. I decided to take some time off and not play DC to actually focus on that, and maybe that wasn't the right decision. Maybe it was better to get more matches under my belt. But you know, it's the first tournament on the hard court season, so I'm hoping that in Cincy and in New York I can find that rhythm," the world No. 2 explained.
In four days, the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati is starting. While Gauff's Montreal run wasn't an impressive run, the 21-year-old still got some matches under her belt and that's a positive thing.
Cincinnati is a special place for Gauff, who lifted her maiden WTA 1000 crown in front of her home fans two years ago.
There were huge expectations on Holger Rune in this edition of the Toronto Masters 1000, where the young Danish ace could benefit from the absence of several top players such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper. The former world number 4 had started his run well in Canada and seemed to be able to go far in this tournament, but was eliminated by Alexei Popyrin in the round of 16.
The winner of the 2022 Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 lost to a very dangerous player on this surface, who is capable of shining at the 'Canadian Open' considering that he lifted the trophy in Montreal a year ago, but Rune showed all his weaknesses once again.
The former Top 5 player had the chance to practice alongside a legend like Andre Agassi before the start of the North American tournaments, but ruled out that the American will follow him around the world as he already has a very busy schedule.
Rune lost again
The feeling is that Holger needs new stimuli at this stage of his career, which has entered a stagnant phase and there do not seem to be effective solutions for the moment. With the exception of excellent performances in Indian Wells (where he reached the final) and Barcelona (where he lifted the trophy), Rune's 2025 has not been satisfactory so far and his results in Grand Slam tournaments have been far below expectations.
During his latest press conference in Toronto, the Danish star confided that he was quite disappointed: "I didn't play my best tennis and it was a disappointing performance, there's not much more to add. I didn't express the level I wanted, I struggled with my serve and I didn't feel comfortable on court. I have to adopt better strategies during matches and select my shots in a better way. When I can make this improvement, then my results will improve."
Rune's next tournament will be the Cincinnati Masters 1000, scheduled for August 7-18.
Ben Shelton had to dig deep in the third round of the Canada Masters in Toronto. The 4th seed faced his compatriot Brandon Nakashima and prevailed 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 in two hours and 36 minutes for a place in the last 16.
World no. 7 squandered set points and dropped a tight opener. Ben took charge and dominated the second set before erasing the deficit early in the third. Brandon saved two match points on serve at 4-5 before a left-hander sealed the deal in the tie break.
Shelton fired 19 aces and eight double faults. The better-ranked player struggled behind the second serve but denied three of four break points. He clinched three breaks and prevailed in the closing stages to remain on the title course.
Ben went for his shots and landed 46 winners and 47 unforced errors. Nakashima stayed on a 19-30 ratio and struggled to follow the opponent's 46 unreturned serves. They stayed neck and neck from the baseline and at the net.
Both players served well in the opening set, providing 12 fine holds and embracing a thrilling tie break. There were only two mini-breaks in the opening 17 points, which we do not see very often.
Brandon denied a set point at 5-6 with a volley winner at the net and earned a set point at 7-6. Shelton saved it with a booming ace and landed a forehand winner for a set point.
Nakashima saved it with a service winner for 8-8 and earned his second set point. Shelton sprayed a backhand error in the 18th point, losing the opener after 59 minutes.
World no. 7 saved two break points in the second set and kept the pressure on the other side. He provided an early break in the second game and another at 5-2 after the rival's backhand error, closing the set and forcing a decider after an hour and 37 minutes.
Nakashima opened it with a break before losing serve in he fourth game after a forced error. Brandon made another push on the return at 3-3 and landed a volley winner for a break chance.
Ben denied it with a powerful serve and held to remain on the positive side. Nakashima faced the ultimate test at 4-5 after playing against two match points. He saved them and held for 5-5 and more drama.
The set went into a tie break, and Shelton provided three mini-breaks in the first seven points, forging a 5-2 advantage with a volley winner at the net. He generated three match points and seized the last with an unreturned serve.
It’s just about time for Jessica Pegula to return to the scene of her first major final. The World No.4 would like to head to the 2025 US Open with a little wind beneath her wings, but at the moment she can’t seem to get her feet off the ground.
The Buffalo native produced another head-scratching effort against 386-ranked Anastasija Sevastova on Friday in Montreal, dropping 12 of the final 15 games to make it just one win in four matches since the start of Wimbledon.
“It hasn’t been great, to be honest. I don’t really feel like I’m playing great tennis.”
— Jessica Pegula
Pegula was the two-time defending champion in Canada this week, but could not summon the confidence that took her to titles in Montreal in 2023 and Toronto last year.
For Pegula, who played and lost the final to Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open last year, it simply isn’t good enough.
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“It hasn’t been great, to be honest,” the 31-year-old said on Friday in Montreal. “I don’t really feel like I’m playing great tennis. At times I am, but I feel very up and down, kind of sloppy, which I don’t like. It really bothers me. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I don’t like having to say that.
“I feel like I’ve gone through phases in my career, a few tournaments, where I feel like that sometimes, and you have to figure out how to get out of it and not feel sorry for yourself or make excuses. I’ve got figure it out.”
Pegula still has time to right the ship. She’ll head to the Cincinnati Open next week, hoping to build momentum ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.
She believes she needs to be a better problem solver, starting now.
“You have to do it in those moments in matches where you’re in that moment where you have to compete and figure things out,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve been able to do it great the last couple of matches, so hopefully going into Cincy I think that’s definitely going to be my main focus every single match is focusing on those big points and those big games because I do think I am playing some good tennis to get up in these matches, and there’s times where I’m reeling off six, seven really good games, and then it kind of falls away.
“So I’ve got to figure out how to kind of sustain that higher level against these good players.”
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has publicly criticized the ATP for what he sees as unfair and inconsiderate scheduling. The Spaniard expressed frustration after being assigned an 11:00 a.m. match at the Canada Masters in Toronto.
The recently-crowned top-20 player will open Friday's action alongside Jakub Mensik, an hour and a half earlier that all other matches that day, which are scheduled to begin at 12:30 or later!
Staying an hour away from the tournament venue, Alejandro emphasized the difficulty of preparing properly under such conditions. Davidovich Fokina's attempts to adjust the schedule were rejected.
La volea de todos los tiempos, cortesía de Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The ATP cited tickets, TV rights and other logistical factors that prevent them from changing the schedule. The Spaniard argued that player well-being continues to be ignored, stating they are not taken into consideration.
The Washington finalist pointed out the inconsistency in scheduling, highlighting that he and his rival have to start the match at 11:00 while there are many courts available to make the schedule more even and flexible.
In a strong closing lines of his statement, Alejandro claimed the ATP regularly makes empty promises to fix issues. However, they remain only on paper, as nothing ever changes.
His post offers a rare glimpse into the frustrations competitors face behind the scenes and major stadiums, admitting it's not as great at t looks from the outside!
Alejandro wasted three match points against Alex de Minaur in a heartbreaking Washington final. The Spaniard cracked the top-20 with those points and defeated Corentin Moutet in the first match in Toronto.
Davidovich Fokina will seek his spot in the last 16 against the Miami Open champion, Jakub Mensik.
"Today, I want to share my disappointment and frustration with ATP. Tomorrow, every match starts at 12:30 except ours, which has been scheduled at 11:00.
We are staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition. We have asked for a change, but the answer was that everything has already been sold, including tickets and TV rights.
Once again, it's clear that players are not taken into consideration. Today, it happens to others, tomorrow it's me, and from the day after, all matches return to 12:30. There are plenty of available courts, and yet we are the only ones playing at 11:00.
The ATP always promises they will fix things, but nothing ever changes. This is not the first time it has happened, and when you are inside, you realize it's not as great as it looks from the outside," Alejandro Davidovich Fokina wrote.
By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, July 27, 2025 Photo credit: Hannah Peters/Getty
Alexander Zverev tuned up for the North American summer hard-court season training with coach Toni Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca.
Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev said he’d like to work with Toni Nadal on a more regular basis, but a prospective partnership depends on Uncle Toni’s schedule.
Speaking to the media in Toronto where he is top seed at this week’s National Bank Open, Zverev said “I’m trying to convince” Toni Nadal to join his coaching team.
“I mean, he spent quite a lot of time with me actually as well, so I’m very thankful for that,” Zverev told the media in Toronto. “I mean, the time in Mallorca was amazing. I spent about 10 days there, and worked really hard and enjoyed it as well. I think Toni enjoyed it probably as well.
“I’m trying to convince him (smiling) to do more weeks with me, and we’ll see how it goes, but he’s a very busy man. Also he has a lot of dates that he already committed to this year, so I’m not sure how much of him you’ll see this year, because he gave his word to a lot of events and a lot of speeches already. But we’re talking about what a potential partnership could look like, for sure, and, yeah, I can give you an update probably in a few weeks time when we know more. But, yeah, I enjoyed my time there, that’s for sure.”
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In addition to working with Toni Nadal, Zverev said he gained “great insight” from Rafael Nadal on his game. King of Clay Rafa Nadal shared with Zverev what it was like for him to face the German.
“Yeah, they definitely spent a lot of hours talking to me, and they gave me some great insight. Rafa gave me some great insight of what it actually is like to play against me, because he saw me as a player, he saw me now as a spectator as well,” Zverev said. “It was very helpful, and again, we spent hours and hours talking, sometimes until past midnight in some dinners and stuff like that. So it was great to be there.”
Earlier this month, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech completed a five-set win over Zverev in the Wimbledon first round. Rinderknech won 44 of 55 trips to net and denied all nine break points he faced.
Afterward, Zverev said the prestigious Centre Court lawn felt like a deep hole he couldn’t escape.
Six months after his surge to the Australian Open final, Zverev suffered his second career Wimbledon first-round exit and opened up on the malaise he’s feeling.
“I would say more mental, probably. It’s funny, I feel very alone out there at times,” Zverev said. “I struggle mentally. I’ve been saying that since after the Australian Open. Yeah, just don’t know. I’m trying to find ways, trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way.
“Yeah, I don’t know. I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice.”
In his parting presser at SW19, Zverev said it’s possible he could hire a new coach and conceded he’s out of answers on court.
“Possibly,” Zverev said when asked about a new coach. “As I said, yeah, it’s a different feeling right now for me. I can’t speak for the moment. But I think I’ll have answers by Canada.”
While Zverev has worked with high-profile coaches in the past—including David Ferrer, who helped guide him to the US Open final and former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been exceptionally successful coaching Carlos Alcaraz—he continues to return to the familiarity of his father, Alexander Zverev, Sr., as coach.
Toni Nadal, known as a savvy and tough taskmaster, spent some time working with Felix Auger-Aliassime after stepping down as Rafa Nadal’s official coach. Zverev said his goal is to maximize his game to try to win Grand Slams.
“I mean, I think at this stage for me it’s about winning, and trying to maximize what I have, and trying to maximize what I can become,” Zverev said. “Again, I think my team, but also Toni are exceptional in that, in maximizing what a player has. Of course, he was with Rafa before, which I’m never going to compare myself to Rafa, but if he can maximize what I have, and he can maximize the potential that I have, I’m sure that I can have a lot more success in my career.”
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025 Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
Gael Monfils reached down to touch the Toronto baseline signaling he’d reached the end of the line at the National Bank Open.
The 38-year-old Frenchman failed to convert match points bowing to Chilean qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3) in Toronto on Sunday.
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Afterward, a disconsolate Monfils said his first-round exit was his final Toronto appearance.
“It was the last time I play in Toronto, for sure, yeah,” Monfils told the media in Toronto.
The National Bank Open alternates between Toronto and Montreal each year. Monfils will be 40 years old when the tournament returns to Toronto in 2027 and he made it clear he won’t be competing.
“There’s no explanation, you know, it’s the last one,” Monfils said. “It will be two years to play in Toronto, so pretty much I won’t be able to play it. Obviously I think the next one is too old for me, so I think it was the last time I play here.
“So, you know, I actually thought at the end, and I was like, Well, I think it’s, unfortunately, but the last time I think I would play here.”
Monfils opened the 2025 season winning his 13th career title in Auckland and went on to reach the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Since then, he’s posted a 9-11 record with opening exits in four of his last five events.
A two-time semifinalist at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada, Monfils reached the Toronto quarterfinals two years ago pushing Jannik Sinner to three sets. The end of his opener on Sunday marked the end of an era.
“In Toronto, I think I played a semifinal here, had a great year here, great run,” Monfils said. “I remember a great match against Milos, a few other great matches here. Even two years ago I played quarterfinal with Jannik, it was a quite high level. But then it was too far.
“I remember I think I played Radek Stepanek, it was quite fun. I mean, I had fun matches in Toronto since I played here. So, it’s something, but at the end of the day, you know, it is natural and normal.”
In the absence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev is the top seed at he Canada Masters in Toronto. The German made a winning start following a 7-6, 6-4 triumph over Adam Walton in the second round.
Walton pushed the 2017 champion to the limits. He led 5-3 in the tie break of the first set before Zverev turned the tables, including a 52-shot rally at 5-5! World no. 3 closed it and provided two breaks in the second set to emerge at the top.
The German dominated with his first serve and dropped only three points. He denied two of three break points and stole the rival's serve two times from six opportunities.
Alexander landed 23 winners and 32 unforced errors. He trailed in service winners but overpowered Adam from the baseline and at the net. They stayed neck and neck in the shortest exchanges, and the German bested his rival in the more advanced ones.
Zverev provided six comfortable holds in the first set and had a chance to grab an early lead. Walton denied two break points in the third game and stayed in touch until the tie break.
The German netted a routine backhand in the eighth point and fell 5-3 behind. He painted a backhand down the line winner in the next one to reduce the deficit and landed a service winner for 5-5.
They embraced a 52-shot exchange in the 11th point, and the Aussie sprayed a forehand error to offer his rival a set point. Adam denied it with a forced error and locked the result at 6-6.
Alexander grabbed a mini-break with a forehand winner after a net cord and hit another forehand winner at the net at 7-6 to wrap up the first part of the duel in 57 minutes.
Walton saved break points in the second game of the second set before experiencing a break at love four games later to send world no. 3 4-2 in front and closer to the finish line.
Zverev closed the seventh game with a forehand winner and moved 5-2 in front. He served for the win at 5-3 and experienced the only setback behind his initial shot.
Alexander faced three break points and netted a forehand drive-volley on the last, allowing his opponent to extend the battle. However, the German kept his composure and extended the tenth game.
Zverev welcomed Walton's double fault, sealing the deal and moving into the third round.
Joao Fonseca entered the Canada Masters in Toronto as the member of the top-50. However, the young Brazilian did not enjoy his run at the sixth Masters 1000 event of the season following a 7-6, 6-4 defeat to Tristan Schoolkate.
The Aussie ousted the Brazilian in an hour and 32 minutes after a rock-solid performance, notching his first top-50 victory and his second triumph at the Masters 1000 level.
The Perth native prevailed in the opener and grabbed an early break in the second set that carried him over the top. The 24-year-old took ten points more than the young gun.
Tristan dropped 14 points behind the initial shot and faced no break points. Fonseca could not stay in touch despite a solid effort, losing serve in the early stages of the second set and hitting the exit door.
Thus, a teenager extended his ups and downs, still waiting to claim three straight ATP wins after lifting his first ATP title in Buenos Aires in February. Both players hit more unforced errors than winners.
Schoolkate had the upper hand in service winners and from the baseline. The lower-ranked player forged his win in the shortest range up to four strokes following more free points on his tally.
Joao faced a break point in the second game of the duel and denied it with a powerful forehand winner. They served well in the remaining games, and Fonseca provided a fine hold at 5-6 to introduce a tie break.
They exchanged early mini-breaks and served well in the upcoming points. The Aussie moved 5-4 in front with a fine attack and welcomed the rival's routine forehand error for a mini-break in the tenth point and two set points.
Schoolkate converted the second with an unreturned serve, wrapping up the first part of the duel in 52 minutes. Tristan secured five fine holds in the second set and kept the pressure on the other side.
Joao missed two game points at 1-1 after the rival's return winner and experienced a break after the rival's sharp return and his mistake. Schoolkate needed no second invitation to bring the victory home from there.
The Aussie served well and held in game eight with a forehand winner for 5-3. Tristan served for a win at 5-4 and landed a service winner on a match point, sealing the deal and sending the young gun packing.
Frances Tiafoe straight up ripped the new Toronto Masters final date as "weird" and "garbage."
On Sunday, which was July 27th, the main action officially started at the Canadian Masters tournament. This year, 96 players entered the main draw for the event slated to last 12 days. In the past, the the Canadian tournament was a seven-day event, featuring 56 players.
While the first thing that stands out is the fact that the Canadian Open expanded, one of the very interesting things about this year's Toronto event is its final date – August 7th, Thursday.
Tiafoe, who is making his seventh appearance at the Canadian Masters this year, was asked about the format change. And while he is excited about being in Toronto, he admitted to being a but stunned by some of the changes implemented by the tournament.
Tiafoe on the Canadian Masters final date: That's garbage…
"It is what it is. I like that it’s a bit shorter than Madrid, Rome. Weird because the final is on a Thursday. That’s garbage. But, I mean, I think it’s going to be great. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I love the city of Toronto. My girlfriend’s from there. Then I’ve got a lot of friends in the league from there, so I’m going to be set up, have a good time," the American tennis star said.
In the past, Tiafoe played three times in Toronto and three times in Montreal. So far, the 27-year-old has had more success in the Ontario region, reaching the round-of-16 twice when the Canadian Masters was taking place in that particular. In Montreal, the American has never made it past the second round.
This year, Tiafoe is seeded at No. 7 and has a first-round bye. Then, he will the winner of the match between Daniel Altmaier and Yosuke Watanuki.
Since Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are all skipping Canada this year, there could be Tiafoe's chance to possibly make a run and play that final next Thursday.
Novak Djokovic has not yet revealed his schedule ahead of the US Open, which will start in less than a month in New York. The former world No. 1 has only announced that he will not participate in the 2025 edition of the Toronto Masters 1000, a decision that is not surprising considering that the Serbian legend has not played in Canada since 2018.
The 38-year-old from Belgrade suffered a small muscle problem during the Wimbledon Championships, in which he reached the semifinals losing decisively to current world number 1 Jannik Sinner. During the subsequent press conference, Nole admitted that his body no longer gives him the same guarantees as a few years ago and emphasized how hard it is to compete with opponents much younger than him at this stage of his career.
At the same time, Djokovic does not seem to have any intention of giving up and still dreams of becoming the oldest ever to win a Major title. He will not start among the favorites even at the US Open, where he lifted his latest trophy in 2023 by beating Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Novak will certainly have less pressure than usual in the Big Apple and will also have to hope for a bit of luck, otherwise it will be difficult to defeat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who have taken control of the men's tour by sharing the last seven Grand Slam titles.
Nole is having fun in Croatia
Barring any surprises, the Serbian veteran is expected to participate in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 before the US Open. He won his latest title in Ohio two years ago by beating Alcaraz at the end of an epic final, while last year he skipped this event to recharge his batteries after the Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, Nole was spotted enjoying his holidays in Croatia and was joined by former Real Madrid star Luka Modric. In a video circulating on social media, Novak can be seen having fun on an electric surfboard.
Holger Rune is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated players at the Toronto Masters 1000, where he has the chance to achieve a prestigious result given the numerous absences among the top players. There are no Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who occupy the top two positions in the ATP rankings, and Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper are not present in Canada either.
The young Danish star is not going through a brilliant moment in his career, especially considering that there were huge expectations on him when he took his first steps on the professional tour. He has had several injuries in recent seasons and has made several mistakes, changing coaches several times and never finding the necessary stability to fully express his talent.
At the beginning of his career, Rune was considered at the same level as Sinner and Alcaraz, but it is difficult to have the same opinion today given that the Italian has already won four Grand Slam titles and the Spaniard has won five Majors.
Rune opens up on Agassi
Holger – who also disappointed expectations at Roland Garros and the Wimbledon Championships – understood that something must change to turn his career around and practiced in Washington together with a legend like Andre Agassi, who was by his side for three days before the start of the event. The Dane was unable to participate in this tournament due to back discomfort.
In a long interview with 'Ziggo Sport' before the start of the 'Canadian Open', the former world number 4 reflected on his time together with Agassi: "It was a great experience to share the court with a tennis legend for a few days. I learned several things and we tried to understand how to perfect my tennis. Andre is very good at listening and gives great advice, which is why I am really grateful to him. It spurred me on to find more balance in my game and there I worked with maximum effort."
Rune will not have an easy debut in Toronto, as his first opponent will be French ace Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
If he participated in the Toronto Masters 1000, Carlos Alcaraz would have had a chance to get closer to Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings. The world No. 1 was the first to announce his absence in Canada, having to recharge his batteries after winning the Wimbledon title for the first time in his career.
A few days later, the 22-year-old Spaniard made the same decision having played many matches in recent months. The five-time Grand Slam champion made it to the bottom of every tournament, lifting his second trophy in a row at Roland Garros and reaching another final at Church Road (lost to his top rival in four sets).
The world number 2 will return to action in Cincinnati and will use this tournament as a test in view of the US Open, where he had a disastrous run last year being eliminated already in the second round.
The rivalry continues
Sinner will have to defend 3000 points between Cincinnati and the US Open, in addition to losing the 200 points obtained in Montreal last year.
This means that Alcaraz has a real chance to overtake his top rival already by the end of the summer, but to succeed in this feat he would have to win the title in both Ohio and New York.
The Italian ace will have many more points to defend than the Spanish star even in the latter part of the season, considering that he had triumphed at the Shanghai Masters 1000 and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in 2024.
Carlos – on the contrary – had not particularly shone in the second half of last season, except for his victory at the Beijing ATP 500 beating Jannik at the end of a truly spectacular final.
This rivalry is set to electrify fans in the second half of 2025 as they wait to see if any other players can become dangerous to their dominance. The general feeling is that these two young champions are taking tennis into a new dimension, creating a huge gap compared to all their opponents.
The last three and a half months have been particularly intense for Carlos Alcaraz, who has played numerous tournaments and has always reached at least the final. The world number 2 only missed the Mutua Madrid Open due to a small physical problem, while in the other events in which he participated he reached the end lifting the trophy in Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros and Queen's (not forgetting the final in Barcelona).
The 22-year-old Spaniard also reached the final act at the Wimbledon Championships for the third year in a row, but failed to triumph this time as he was defeated in four sets by his top rival Jannik Sinner. There is no doubt that the five-time Grand Slam champion has used a lot of energies this part of the season and needs to recharge his batteries now, which is why he has decided to skip the Canadian Open, which begins in Toronto later this month.
Since the former world number 1 had not played in Canada last year either, he would have had the chance to gain points on Sinner in the ATP rankings and get closer to the first position. The Italian ace will not be present in Ontario either, and both will be back in action in Cincinnati next month.
Alcaraz is more mature
Carlitos reached the final in Ohio in 2023, losing to Novak Djokovic at the end of an epic challenge, while in the last edition he was eliminated by Gael Monfils already in the second round. The former world No.1 will not have to defend as many points even at the US Open, the tournament where he won his first Major title in 2022, as he was eliminated in the second round last year.
In a recent interview with 'La Gazzetta dello Sport', the Spanish star did not hide that one of his goals in the second half of the year is to dethrone Sinner and return to the top of the ATP rankings. However, his choice to skip Toronto certifies a higher maturity than in the past combined with the awareness of having to change something.
