American sinks countryman Nakashima in final

Ben Shelton successfully defended his National Bank Open presented by Rogers crown Thursday in Montreal, where the fifth seed defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) to claim the trophy without dropping a set across his six matches.

With his victory, 2025 Toronto champion Shelton became the fourth man this century to successfully defend the Canada title after Andy Murray (2009-10), Novak Djokovic (2011-12) and Rafael Nadal (2018-19).

"For me to play the way that I played this week to go through this draw speaks to the work I have been putting in," Shelton said following his win. "It also speaks to my mental toughness, my ability to focus through everything that was going on this week."

After Shelton earned his first break of serve against Nakashima with a blistering return winner at 3-3 in the first set, there was no stopping the 23-year-old. Shelton dictated the tempo of the clash with a dominant serving display and consistently came out on top, firing off his forehand wing. The American faced no break points throughout the match and converted two of the four break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Watch Shelton win an epic rally with a clutch forehand pass

After producing yet another stunning forehand winner to seal his victory in one hour and 27 minutes, Shelton smiled at his player box and pointed to the court. The champion then walked back out on the court and let out a triumphant roar before embracing his family as they celebrated the moment together.

By defeating fellow American Nakashima in Montreal, Shelton improved to 6-0 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The lefty has now won four titles this season, having also triumphed in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart, taking his overall tally of ATP Tour titles to seven.

"I couldn't be happier with the way I won this week," Shelton later shared in the press conference. "It was such a good display from me. The way that I moved on the court, the way I struck the ball, my serve and return. I thought I was versatile. I played all-court tennis. And I'm super happy with the way that the match turned out."

Nakashima, who was competing in his first Masters 1000 final, was seeking his second ATP Tour title, almost four years after winning his first in 2022, when he triumphed on home soil in San Diego.

Although the 25-year-old fell short in the Montreal final, Nakashima will leave Canada with plenty of good memories. With his run to the championship match, Nakashima ensured he will climb to a career-high No. 22 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

"I want to say thank you to my team for all the help and support throughout my whole career. My dad, my mother, my brother, I really have to thank all of them for everything in my career.... It really is one of the best weeks of my life."