Defending champion Ben Shelton has successfully made his way to the final of the Canadian Open for the second consecutive year, securing a 6-2, 6-3 victory over fellow American Learner Tien.
Unlike his previous journey in Toronto, which was marked by numerous comebacks and three-set matches, Shelton's title defense in 2026 has been remarkably smooth. As he entered the semi-finals, he was the only competitor in the tournament who had not dropped a set, a streak he maintained on Wednesday.
This marks the first time since 1995 that all finalists in Montreal are American, a year when Andre Agassi triumphed over Pete Sampras in the last tournament held at the old Jarry Park stadium.
Now, 31 years later, the world No. 10 Shelton is set to face world No. 31 Brandon Nakashima for the championship on Thursday night at IGA Stadium.
The initial five games against Tien were fiercely contested, with Shelton having to fend off a break point early in the match but managing to withstand his opponent's strong start. He broke serve for the first time to take a 4-2 lead in the first set and never looked back.
In the second set, Shelton broke serve again early on, and the only moment that seemed to hinder his momentum was when he collided with the back wall while chasing a lob from Tien at 4-1, which led him to take a medical timeout for a cut on his elbow.
On Thursday, Shelton aims to defend his title against Nakashima, marking the first all-American final at a Masters 1000 event since 2003, when Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish in Cincinnati. Shelton is also vying for his fourth title of the season and his second Masters 1000 victory overall.
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