2026 National Bank Open Quarterfinal Recap: Rybakina Outlasts Osaka in Toronto Thriller

The 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers reached a frantic crescendo on Tuesday, August 11, as quarterfinal action wrapped up at IGA Stadium in Montreal and Sobeys Stadium in Toronto.

A packed Tuesday slate determined the final four contenders across both draws. In Montreal, defending champion Ben Shelton produced a sublime performance to lead an all-under-25 men’s semifinal field alongside Brandon Nakashima, 19-year-old Spanish phenom Rafael Jodar, and 20-year-old American Learner Tien.

Over in Toronto, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina pulled off another heroic comeback to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a three-set thriller, joining Coco Gauff in a star-studded women’s semifinal lineup.

Here is your complete recap of Day 11 at the National Bank Open.

Part 1: Men’s Action in Montreal – Shelton Sizzles; Jodar, Nakashima, and Tien Complete Final Four

A jam-packed Tuesday at IGA Stadium saw all four men’s singles quarterfinals played alongside pivotal doubles matchups, confirming an all-Next-Gen semifinal line-up for Wednesday.

Ben Shelton Sizzles Against Jakub Mensik

Defending National Bank Open champion Ben Shelton [5] produced what he called one of his best performances of the year, dismantling 13th seed Jakub Mensik 6-3, 6-1 in just 62 minutes.

Shelton, who has yet to drop a set in his title defense, put on an absolute clinic on serve and return. The 23-year-old American struck 18 winners against just three unforced errors, won 89% of his first-serve points, hit a blistering 147 mph serve, and did not face a single break point against one of the tour’s premier servers.

After outlasting Mensik in a 24-shot rally early in the first set, Shelton broke for 4-2 before taking the opener. In the second set, Shelton hit a series of crushing backhand winners to break Mensik twice more, writing “not done yet” on the TV camera lens as he sealed his place in the semifinals.

[5] Ben Shelton (USA) def. [13] Jakub Mensik (CZE)
Score: 6-3, 6-1 | Match Time: 1h 02m | 18 Winners, 3 Unforced Errors

Rafael Jodar Stops Arthur Fils Again

Spanish 19-year-old Rafael Jodar [20] proved that his rapid rise is no fluke, eliminating 18th seed Arthur Fils 7-6(5), 6-3 in a carbon-copy scoreline of their Washington matchup two weeks prior.

Jodar became the first teenager to reach the men’s semifinals in Canada since 2018. In a high-octane first set featuring 25+ shot rallies and a brief rain delay, Jodar seized the opening tiebreaker with a sublime drop shot. He kept the pressure on in the second set, breaking Fils twice to move to a career-high live ranking of World No. 11.

Brandon Nakashima and Learner Tien Cruise

• Brandon Nakashima Breakthrough: American Brandon Nakashima [28] made quick work of Italy’s Luciano Darderi [19], earning a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal. Nakashima served impeccably to set up a Wednesday clash against Jodar.
• Learner Tien Surge: Twenty-year-old Learner Tien [12] wrapped up the night session with a crisp 6-3, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Daniel Merida. Tien converted four break points to set up an all-American semifinal clash against defending champion Ben Shelton.

Montreal Doubles Semifinalists Locked

The men’s doubles draw saw the top-seeded team of Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten fall 6-3, 6-4 to Argentine duo Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Etcheverry. Joining them in the final four are Orlando Luz / Rafael Matos, Marcelo Arevalo / Mate Pavic [3], and Theo Arribage / Albano Olivetti.

Part 2: Women’s Action in Toronto – Rybakina Comeback Downs Osaka; Gauff Advances via Walkover

Sobeys Stadium witnessed high drama on Tuesday evening as the final two women’s semifinal slots were determined.

Elena Rybakina Rallies Past Naomi Osaka in Three-Set Thriller

In the marquee match of the day in Toronto, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina [2] staged another dramatic comeback to defeat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka [11] 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.

Osaka came out firing, breaking Rybakina in her opening service game to take the first set. Osaka then took a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Rybakina refused to back down, fighting back to force a tiebreaker and leveling the match.

The turning point of the deciding set came with Rybakina serving at 2-3, where she saved triple break points (four in total) to hold serve. Gaining momentum, Rybakina broke Osaka in the following game before closing out the match with three consecutive aces.

“It was a very difficult match. I honestly don’t know how I managed to turn it around in the second set, being 4-2 down. I was just trying to stay positive… glad that in the end it went my way.” — Elena Rybakina

Coco Gauff Advances Following Bencic Withdrawal

World No. 4 Coco Gauff [4] advanced to the semifinals via a walkover after 12th seed Belinda Bencic was forced to withdraw 30 minutes prior to their scheduled match due to a hip injury. Gauff will now clash with Rybakina in a highly anticipated semifinal matchup.

Around the Grounds, Celebrities & Special Tributes

• Kawhi Leonard Attends in Toronto: 2019 NBA Champion and Toronto Raptors legend Kawhi Leonard was seated court-side at Sobeys Stadium for the Rybakina-Osaka clash, receiving a massive ovation from Canadian fans and catching up with Coco Gauff off-court.
• Volunteer Recognition Day in Montreal: Both venues celebrated Volunteer Recognition Day, paying tribute to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who ensure the tournament runs smoothly.
• NHL Stars Visit: Montreal Canadiens players Zachary Bolduc and Samuel Montembeault attended Tuesday’s evening session at IGA Stadium.
• UNMATCHED Gender Equity Conference: Toronto hosted the 5th annual UNMATCHED: Gender Equity in Sports Conference, featuring speeches from Olympic gymnastics icon Ellie Black and two-time Olympic speed skater Anastasia Bucsis.

Looking Ahead to Day 12 (Semifinals Schedule)

High-stakes semifinal battles take center stage on Wednesday, August 12:

In Montreal (ATP Semifinals)

• Centre Court (Not Before 6:00 PM EDT): [20] Rafael Jodar (ESP) vs. [28] Brandon Nakashima (USA)
• Centre Court (Followed By): [12] Learner Tien (USA) vs. [5] Ben Shelton (USA)
• Doubles Semifinals: Francisco Cerundolo / Tomas Etcheverry vs. Orlando Luz / Rafael Matos (Centre Court, 4:00 PM EDT); [3] Marcelo Arevalo / Mate Pavic vs. Theo Arribage / Albano Olivetti (Rogers Court, 4:00 PM EDT).

In Toronto (WTA Semifinals)

• Centre Court (Starting at 7:00 PM EDT): [9] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. [7] Iga Swiatek (POL)
• Centre Court (Followed By): [4] Coco Gauff (USA) vs. [2] Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
• Doubles Semifinal: [1] Katerina Siniakova / Shuai Zhang vs. Tereza Mihalikova / Olivia Nicholls (Grandstand, 5:00 PM EDT).

=> View full schedule and results