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Ben Shelton beat João Fonseca 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach the last eight, where he faces Jakub Mensik, while Daniel Merida’s stunning 6-3, 6-1 win over Griekspoor set up a QF against Learner Tien. It is the first time since the 2007 Rolex Paris Masters that a quarterfinal lineup at any ATP event — not just Masters 1000 level — has featured eight players aged 25 and under. And it is the first time ever at a Masters 1000 that every single quarterfinalist was born in the 2000s.
Eight quarterfinalists. Eight players aged 25 or under. Eight players born in the 2000s. The 2026 National Bank Open in Montreal — which began with Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic all absent and quickly lost Zverev, Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime to upsets and injury — has produced something nobody could have predicted: the clearest statement yet that tennis’ next generation has stopped waiting.
Montreal, Canada: By Sunday evening at IGA Stadium, the 2026 National Bank Open had its eight quarterfinalists. The NBO confirmed the fact that defined the entire tournament in a single line: all eight players are aged 25 or under. The ATP’s next generation has arrived. Montreal is here for it.
Shelton Beats Fonseca in the Match of the Week
The most anticipated round of 16 match delivered. Ben Shelton, the defending champion and tournament’s 10th seed, beat 22nd seed João Fonseca 6-3, 7-6(3) in the standout contest of the week — two of the sport’s most exciting young players trading blows on Centre Court before Shelton’s experience in big matches proved decisive.
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Fonseca had been one of the tournament’s revelations. The 19-year-old Brazilian had beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(3), 7-5 in the previous round, firing nine aces and 31 winners in one of the week’s best performances. Against Shelton, he pushed the American to a tiebreak in the second set before the defending champion held firm. “I had to grind,” Shelton said. “It was tough. I’m happy with the grit I showed.”
Shelton is now trying to become only the second man since Rafael Nadal in 2018-19 to win back-to-back Canadian Open titles. His winning run in Canada now stands at nine matches — the longest active streak at this event on the ATP Tour. He faces Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals — a Masters 1000 champion who beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5 in the round of 16 to advance. Shelton trails Mensik 1-2 in their head-to-head series heading into the clash.
Merida: The Draw’s Biggest Surprise
If Shelton-Fonseca was the anticipated match, Daniel Merida was the unanticipated player. The 21-year-old Spaniard, ranked 63rd in the world and unseeded, beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16 — a comprehensive victory over a player who had himself upset world No. 3 and French Open champion Alexander Zverev earlier in the week. Merida next faces 12th seed Learner Tien, the 20-year-old American who beat Thiago Tirante 6-4, 6-4 — becoming the youngest American man to reach the Canadian Open quarterfinals since a 19-year-old Andy Roddick did so in 2002. That match — Merida vs Tien — is the QF that captures what this tournament has become: two players ranked 63rd and 19th respectively, combined age 41, in the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event that was supposed to feature three of the world’s top four players.
The Rest of the Quarterfinals
Rafael Jodar — the Spanish 19-year-old who reached the DC Open final last week before losing to Fritz — meets Arthur Fils in another all-young QF. Luciano Darderi faces Brandon Nakashima in the fourth quarterfinal, rounding out a lineup that contains zero players from the tournament’s original top 10 seeds except Shelton (10th) and Mensik (17th).
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How We Got Here
The story of how Montreal arrived at this point starts before the tournament began. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all withdrew before a ball was struck — workload management, personal reasons, the accumulated toll of a busy summer. Zverev arrived as the unambiguous favourite, lost to Griekspoor in the second round. Medvedev fell to Van de Zandschulp. Auger-Aliassime — the home favourite, the second seed — pulled out with a back injury before his first match, without winning a main draw game at the Canadian Open for the fourth consecutive year. “It was quite sudden,” he said. “Just the timing is tough.”
Round by round, the draw shed its biggest names. What remained — what Montreal has produced — is something the sport needed to see.
Quarterfinalists (all aged 25 or under, all born in the 2000s): [10] Ben Shelton (USA, 23) vs [17] Jakub Mensik (CZE, 20) D. Merida (ESP, 21) vs [12] L. Tien (USA, 20) R. Jodar (ESP, 19) vs A. Fils (FRA, 22) L. Darderi (ITA, 24) vs B. Nakashima (USA, 25)
Key R4 results: Shelton def. Fonseca 6-3, 7-6(3) Merida def. Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1 Mensik def. Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5 Tien def. Tirante 6-4, 6-4
Notable earlier exits: Zverev (1) lost to Griekspoor R2: 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 Medvedev (4) lost to Van de Zandschulp R2: 6-3, 7-6(5) Auger-Aliassime (2) — withdrew (back injury) Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic — withdrew before tournament
Quarterfinals: Monday–Tuesday, August 10–11 Venue: IGA Stadium, Montreal | Surface: Outdoor Hard | Dates: August 2–13, 2026
