2026 National Bank Open Men’s Final Preview: Ben Shelton vs. Brandon Nakashima
An all-American championship battle will decide the title at IGA Stadium in Montreal on Thursday night. Defending champion Ben Shelton faces off against first-time Masters 1000 finalist Brandon Nakashima in the men’s singles final of the 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
This blockbuster matchup represents the 15th all-American ATP Masters 1000 final in series history. With a massive purse, crucial ranking points, and bragging rights on the line, both players bring huge motivation to Centre Court.
Match Schedule & Global Kickoff Times
The men’s singles final will headline the night session on Thursday, August 13. It is scheduled to begin not before 8:00 p.m. local time (EDT) following the doubles final.
Here is when you can watch the championship match around the world:
- Local Time (Montreal EDT / UTC-4): Not before 8:00 PM (Thursday, Aug 13)
- UK Time (BST / UTC+1): 1:00 AM (Friday, Aug 14)
- Central European Time (CEST / UTC+2): 2:00 AM (Friday, Aug 14)
- Eastern European Time (EEST / UTC+3): 3:00 AM (Friday, Aug 14)
- Australia West (AWST / UTC+8): 8:00 AM (Friday, Aug 14)
- Australia East (AEST / UTC+10): 10:00 AM (Friday, Aug 14)
The Head-to-Head: Shelton’s Dominance
Going into Thursday’s final, Shelton holds a commanding 5–0 advantage over Nakashima in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
| Year | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
| 2024 | Houston | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Clay | Ben Shelton | 7–5, 7–6(9) |
| 2024 | Washington | Round of 16 | Outdoor Hard | Ben Shelton | 7–6(5), 7–6(4) |
| 2025 | Australian Open | Round of 128 | Outdoor Hard | Ben Shelton | 7–6(3), 7–5, 7–5 |
| 2025 | Indian Wells | Round of 16 | Outdoor Hard | Ben Shelton | 7–6(6), 6–1 |
| 2025 | Canadian Open | Round of 32 | Outdoor Hard | Ben Shelton | 6–7(8), 6–2, 7–6(5) |
Despite Shelton’s clean record in wins, their past matches have featured tight tiebreaks and close sets. Nakashima will look to alter his tactical strategy to score his first win over his countryman.
The Road to the Montreal Final
Ben Shelton’s Path
The 23-year-old fifth seed has looked dominant throughout his title defense in Montreal. Already a three-time champion this season (Dallas, Munich, and Stuttgart), World No. 10 Shelton blew past 20-year-old 12th seed Learner Tien 6–2, 6–3 in just 84 minutes during Wednesday’s semifinal.
Shelton hit five aces and saved all four break points he faced in his semifinal victory.
Brandon Nakashima’s Path
The 25-year-old 28th seed has enjoyed a breakthrough run in Montreal. Nakashima had never reached an ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal prior to this week, but he earned his spot in Thursday’s final by defeating 19-year-old Spanish sensation Rafael Jodar 7–6(3), 6–4 in a tense two-hour semifinal.
Nakashima served brilliantly against Jodar, landing 85% of his first serves in play and fighting off four break points in a wild 10-minute final game.
Prize Money and ATP Ranking Points
The 2026 ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal features a total purse of $9,415,725.
- Champion: $1,151,420 and 1,000 ATP Ranking Points
- Runner-Up: $612,340 and 650 ATP Ranking Points
What the Players Said
Ben Shelton
On his semifinal victory over Learner Tien:
“Super happy with the performance. Learner is a guy who presents me with a lot of problems in my game. A tough challenge to overcome. To get a win over him in the fashion that I did, I’m super pleased with that.”
On pushing back against talk of an easy draw in Montreal:
“It’d be disrespectful to say that any of these matches have been easy. To be able to finish it in straight sets was huge, but this tournament’s been nothing close to easy.”
On facing Brandon Nakashima in the championship match:
“He’s a great player. His game’s gotten better and better each year. His forehand has turned into a huge weapon. His serve’s always been a massive weapon. He’s got a great world-class backhand, one of the best in the world, and he can play all-court tennis… played at an outstanding level today against Jodar. It’ll be a battle, one that I’m really looking forward to.”
Brandon Nakashima
On reaching his first Masters 1000 final:
“Going into the tournament, I knew I was playing at a really high level, so I knew that I could go on a deep run here. Obviously wasn’t thinking about the final or anything. I’m super happy right now. Everything that I’ve done to get to this moment, all the hard work and everything, just so happy that it’s all paying off, and can’t wait for tomorrow.”
On the keys to his semifinal performance against Jodar:
“My serve and forehand were definitely the keys for today. I knew that I had to hit my forehand with a lot of pace, try to get him on the run because if he was doing that to me, I wouldn’t be in a good position. I knew I had to be aggressive, try and come forward as much as possible, and luckily I was able to hit my serves when I needed to.”
On defeating rising star Rafael Jodar:
“He’s the next up-and-coming player, so of course there’s a lot of excitement around him. Everybody knows the talent he has, the level that he can produce. It’s been a rise like we’ve never seen before.”
Rafael Jodar
On his semifinal loss to Nakashima:
“He was playing good. He was returning well at the start of the match and it was a bit difficult for me today to find the rhythm.”
Tactical Matchup: What to Expect
Shelton enters as the clear favorite owing to his massive left-handed serve, heavy forehand, and confidence from his 5–0 head-to-head record. If Shelton serves with the accuracy he showed in the semifinals, he will prove tough to break.
However, Nakashima is playing the best tennis of his career this week. His clean baseline play, high first-serve percentage, and disciplined backhand could allow him to exploit rallies if he can neutralize Shelton’s initial serve delivery.
