Ben Shelton put together one of the most complete performances of his career in Montreal, successfully defending his Canadian Open title without surrendering a single set across the entire tournament. The victory pushed the 23-year-old up four spots in the ATP rankings to sixth overall, reclaiming his position as American No. 1 ahead of Taylor Fritz.
Shelton was candid about just how significant the week felt for him, describing it as an even bigger stepping stone than his Toronto title run last year, pointing to his improved discipline, defensive awareness, and ability to break serve at crucial moments. With the US Open on the horizon, the big-serving American is carrying serious momentum into the hardcourt swing.
He was not the only American who thrived in Montreal. Finalist Brandon Nakashima vaulted nine places to 22nd, while semifinalist Learner Tien made an eye-catching leap from 19th all the way to 12th. Quarter-finalist Daniel Merida perhaps posted the most dramatic individual jump of the week, climbing 23 spots to reach 40th in the world.
On the other side of the draw, Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar also climbed four places to 11th after reaching the semifinals. At just 19 years old, Jodar is now on the brink of breaking Boris Becker's 31-year-old record for the fastest rise from the top 100 to the top 10 in ATP history, a remarkable achievement should he complete it.
Elsewhere, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul each slipped three spots to 23rd and 24th respectively. In the live rankings, Alexander Zverev has leapfrogged an injured Carlos Alcaraz, who is absent from Cincinnati with a wrist issue.
TennisDraw users who backed Shelton's title defense in Montreal were rewarded handsomely with their bracket picks.
