Ben Shelton retained the ATP Montreal Masters 1000 title on Thursday, defeating fellow American Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in the final. The victory gave Shelton a second consecutive championship at the Canadian event and made him the winner of the first all-American title match in Canada since 1995.
Shelton took the opening set 6-3 before Nakashima pushed the second set into a tie-break. Shelton closed out the decider 7/4 in the tie-break to complete the straight-sets win and secure the Montreal trophy again.
Shelton completes consecutive Montreal victories
The result confirms Shelton as back-to-back champion at the ATP Montreal Masters 1000. Winning the event in consecutive years places him in a select group of players to have successfully defended a Canadian title in the 2000s.
According to the event context, Shelton is the fourth man this century to back up a Canadian title the following year. Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the other players listed as having achieved that feat.
The final was also notable for its all-American matchup. Shelton and Nakashima contested the first Canadian title match between two American players since Andre Agassi defeated Pete Sampras in 1995. Shelton emerged with the title after controlling the first set and then navigating the second-set tie-break.
The 6-3 opening score gave Shelton an early advantage in the championship match. Nakashima responded strongly enough in the second set to force the tie-break, but Shelton won the crucial points there to finish the contest without a third set.
For Shelton, the successful defence adds another Montreal Masters 1000 trophy to his record. The achievement is defined both by the final scoreline and by the rarity of repeating at the Canadian tournament in consecutive seasons.
An all-American final with Canadian history
Shelton’s 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) win over Nakashima brought a significant all-American final to a decisive conclusion. The match was the first of its kind in Canada in more than three decades, dating back to the Agassi-Sampras final in 1995.
While the first set went Shelton’s way by a clear margin, the second set provided the tighter finish. Nakashima took the set to a tie-break, ensuring that the title would be decided by a final sequence of points. Shelton won that tie-break 7/4 to retain his crown.
The victory means Shelton leaves the ATP Montreal Masters 1000 as champion for the second year running. It also places his Canadian title defence alongside those previously completed by Murray, Djokovic and Nadal in the 2000s.
Nakashima finished runner-up after reaching the all-American final, while Shelton claimed the championship through a straight-sets result that featured one set won 6-3 and a second-set tie-break won 7/4.
Shelton’s Montreal success therefore carries two clear markers: a second consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title at the event and a place in the recent history of Canadian title defences. His win over Nakashima settled an uncommon all-American final and completed another championship run in Montreal.
