Ben Shelton successfully defended his Canadian Open title on Thursday, beating fellow American Brandon Nakashima 6-3 7-6(4) to claim his second Masters 1000 crown and seventh career title.
The all-American final was the first at Masters 1000 level since Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish in Cincinnati in 2003, offering encouragement for U.S. men’s tennis ahead of the U.S. Open.
The United States has not produced a men’s singles Grand Slam champion since Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open.
Shelton arrived in Canada after a difficult season, having suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon, a second-round defeat at the French Open and won only one match across his first four Masters 1000 tournaments.
But the fifth seed rediscovered his form on the Canadian hard courts, winning the title without dropping a set.
“To play the way that I’ve played this week, to go through this draw without dropping a set, I think it speaks a lot to the work that I’ve been putting in, but it speaks a lot to my mental toughness,” Shelton said.
“It hasn’t been the best for me, easiest or most straightforward year for me, to put together a performance like this and playing at the top of my game, I have no words.”
Shelton broke Nakashima for a 4-3 lead in the opening set with a forehand return winner off a second serve before breaking again in the final game as his compatriot’s forehand began to falter.
Nakashima, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, stayed composed in the second set to force a tiebreak, but Shelton took control with an early mini-break and sealed victory with a forehand winner.
Shelton became the first Canadian Open champion since Novak Djokovic in 2016 to win the tournament without dropping a set and the first player since Rafa Nadal in 2019 to successfully defend the title.
