Ben Shelton completed his title run in Montreal without dropping a single set.
Chris OddoAugust 13, 20262 minute read
In 2025, Ben Shelton won his maiden Masters title in Toronto, dropping three sets in a momentous title run.
This year, he didn’t even bother to drop a set as he successfully defended his title at the Canadian Masters.
Shelton won his seventh career title, taking out Brandon Nakashima in an all-American final, 6-3, 7-6(4), to become the first man to successfully defend the title in Canada since Rafael Nadal in 2019.
He’s just the second man to win the Canadian Masters title without dropping a set this century, along with Novak Djokovic, who achieved the feat in 2016.
“To go through this draw without dropping a set, I think it speaks a lot to the work that I’ve been putting in,” Shelton said. “It hasn’t been the easiest or the most straightforward year for me. To put together a performance like this and play at the top of my game – I have no words.”
Shelton was in control from start to finish against first-time Masters finalist Nakashima, and he finished the tournament with 31 consecutive service holds as he improved to 29-7 on North American soil since last July.
Shelton has now won four titles in 2026, and he will return to his perch as the highest-ranked American man in the rankings. But he hasn’t performed the way he would have liked at the majors, where he didn’t get past the second round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
He’s hoping to use the performance in Canada as a springboard for what is the most important part of the season for him.
Shelton improved to 6-0 lifetime against Nakashima, and 7-1 in the eight tiebreaks the pair have played. He never faced a break point and managed two breaks against the 25-year-old from San Diego, with both coming in the opening set.
In the second set, he hung on to his serve as Nakashima elevated his game, and pulled away in the tiebreak, finishing the match with a forehand winner down the line, a shot that clicked for him all evening.
Shelton hit 13 winners off that wing and made just one forehand unforced error; Nakashima hit seven forehand winners but committed 12 unforced errors off his favorite wing.
Shelton dropped just nine points on serve all evening.