2026 National Bank Open Day 5 Recap: Zverev, Medvedev Upset

Day 5 of the 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers delivered an extraordinary day of high drama, severe heat, and monumental upsets on Wednesday, August 5.

A sun-drenched afternoon in Montreal saw two of the top four men’s seeds—World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and 4th-seeded Daniil Medvedev—crash out in stunning second-round defeats. To compound the local crowd’s heartbreak, home hero Félix Auger-Aliassime was forced to withdraw before his scheduled night-session appearance due to a sudden back injury.

Over in Toronto, the WTA draw saw reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova stunned in her opening match as a Grand Slam champion, while Canadian favorite Leylah Annie Fernandez, 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and young sensation Alexandra Eala thrilled packed crowds under the lights.

Here is your comprehensive recap of a unforgettable Day 5 at IGA Stadium and Sobeys Stadium.

Part 1: Men’s Action in Montreal – Seeds Fall, Shelton Defends & Fonseca Magic

A steamy Wednesday in Montreal brought out a wave of major upsets, testing the mental fortitude and physical conditioning of the world’s top male players.

Top Seed Down: Griekspoor Stuns Alexander Zverev

The biggest shockwave of the day came on Centre Court as top-seeded Alexander Zverev was eliminated in his opening match by Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, falling 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4.

Griekspoor, ranked No. 69, became the first player to beat the No. 1 seed in their NBO opener since Nick Kyrgios defeated Daniil Medvedev in 2022. After losing a tight first-set tiebreaker, Griekspoor regrouped, breaking Zverev early in the second set and dominating on serve behind 20 forehand winners and a flawless 17-for-18 record at the net.

Down 2-4 in the decider, Zverev managed to break back for 4-4, but Griekspoor immediately broke again before ripping a forehand down the line to seal the biggest victory of his season.

Tallon Griekspoor (NED) def. [1] Alexander Zverev (GER)
Score: 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 | Top Seed Eliminated

Double Shock: Botic van de Zandschulp Sends Medvedev Packing

The Dutch dominance didn’t stop with Griekspoor. Botic van de Zandschulp produced a magnificent performance of his own to knock out 4th seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(5). Medvedev was moved to the night session following a late draw shift, but van de Zandschulp dictated terms from the baseline to send the former champion packing early.

Adding to the list of top-10 casualties, Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante ousted 7th seed Taylor Fritz7-5, 6-3, sending shockwaves right through the men’s draw.

Ben Shelton Commences Title Defense with Poise

Defending champion Ben Shelton avoided the upset bug on Centre Court, battling past fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 7-5 to kick off his summer hard-court swing.

Shelton snapped a four-match losing streak at Masters 1000 tournaments with a steady serving display. After falling behind 1-4 in the second set, the 5th seed rallied back to level at 4-4, eventually crushing a forehand winner on the line at 5-5 to break Brooksby and serve out the match in straight sets.

Joao Fonseca Outlasts Stefanos Tsitsipas

Nineteen-year-old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca made a brilliant Montreal debut, defeating former Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas7-6(3), 7-5.

Backed by a raucous crowd waving Brazilian flags, Fonseca fired 15 winners in a high-octane first set to claim the tiebreaker. After getting broken while serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, a newly matured Fonseca reset immediately, breaking Tsitsipas right back before sealing the victory at the second time of asking.

Heartbreak for Montreal: Auger-Aliassime Withdraws

Local fans suffered a massive blow when Montreal’s own Félix Auger-Aliassime, the tournament’s 2nd seed, was forced to withdraw shortly before his scheduled night match against Titouan Droguet. Auger-Aliassime cited acute back pain that started during training on Monday.

“I thought day by day things would get better. I tried to warm up today and basically couldn’t serve. It was impossible for me to think about even competing… The decision wasn’t complicated to make, but very difficult.” — Félix Auger-Aliassime

Other Notable Montreal Wednesday Men’s Results

• [9] Casper Ruud (NOR) d. Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG) 6-1, 6-2
• [12] Learner Tien (USA) d. [WC] Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
• [22] Joao Fonseca (BRA) d. [Q] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 7-6(3), 7-5
• [Q] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) d. [32] Raphael Collignon (BEL) 6-4, 6-3
• Hubert Hurkacz (POL) d. [25] Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) 6-4, 7-6(4)

Part 2: Women’s Action in Toronto – Favourites Prevail, Noskova Shocked

Sobeys Stadium featured a blockbuster slate on Wednesday, with Grand Slam champions and home favorites battling across day and night sessions.

Leylah Fernandez Thrills Home Crowd; Eala Wins Thriller

• Leylah Annie Fernandez Dominates: Canadian No. 1 and 30th seed Leylah Annie Fernandez put on a clinic under the Centre Court lights, storming past Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-2, 6-2. Fernandez broke service five times in a clinical, wire-to-wire performance to advance.
• Alexandra Eala Wins Decider: Philippine star Alexandra Eala (seeded 25th) thrilled a packed crowd full of Filipino supporters, outlasting Alycia Parks 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Eala won the final four games of the deciding set to seal her maiden Toronto win.

Shocking Upset: Caty McNally Stuns Wimbledon Champion Noskova

The biggest upset in Toronto saw American Caty McNally shock 6th seed Linda Noskova7-6(5), 6-1. Noskova, competing in her very first match since winning her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon, led 5-1 in the opening set before collapsing as McNally reeled off six of the next seven games to force a tiebreaker and take control of the match.

Grand Slam Champions: Rybakina, Gauff, Pegula, and Osaka Advance

• [2] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) survived a tough three-setter against Daria Kasatkina, fighting through serving struggles to win 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
• [4] Coco Gauff (USA) dispatched American qualifier Kayla Day 6-2, 7-5, rebounding from a late second-set blip to close out the match in 12 games.
• [3] Jessica Pegula (USA) recovered from a sluggish opening set to cruise past Magdalena Frech 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
• [11] Naomi Osaka (JPN) needed just under an hour to dismantle Hungary’s Panna Udvardy 6-2, 6-4, firing baseline winners at will.
• [5] Mirra Andreeva delivered a masterclass against former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, winning 6-0, 6-2 in less than 60 minutes.

Other Notable Toronto Wednesday WTA Results

• [12] Belinda Bencic (SUI) d. [Q] Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-1
• Liudmila Samsonova d. [22] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 6-1, 7-5
• [Q] Alina Korneeva d. [23] Emma Navarro (USA) 6-2, 6-2
• Ann Li (USA) d. [WC] Kayla Cross (CAN) 7-6(2), 6-3

Looking Ahead to Day 6

With top seeds crashing out in Montreal and the WTA draw tightening in Toronto, Thursday promises even higher stakes:

• In Montreal: Third-round action gets underway as defending champion Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, and Joao Fonseca hunt for quarterfinal berths.
• In Toronto: High-profile third-round matchups hit Centre Court, alongside the featured evening doubles match pairing Venus Williams and Alexandra Eala on Centre Court!

=> View full schedule for Day 6 and Day 5 results