Ben Shelton claimed the biggest title of his young career on Thursday night by winning the National Bank Open. The 22-year-old, seeded fourth, came from behind to defeat 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia with a score of 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Shelton became the first American to win this Masters 1000 hard-court event since Andy Roddick in 2003. He previously secured titles on hard courts in Tokyo last year and on clay in Houston in 2022.
“It feels surreal,” Shelton said after his victory. “It’s been a long week and not an easy path to the final. But I played my best tennis when it mattered most. I stayed clutch, persevered, and showed resilience—qualities I value in myself.”
With this win, Shelton will rise to a career-high sixth place in the world rankings. His victory over Khachanov followed a semifinal win against second-seeded Taylor Fritz, where Shelton won 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American showdown.
“This week was like a perfect storm for me,” Shelton added. “There were many tight and long matches, and I played some of the best tennis of my year.”
In the final set, Shelton served seven of his 16 aces and impressively won 14 consecutive points on his serve, holding at love to push the match into a decisive tiebreaker.
Bryan Shelton, Ben’s father and coach, praised his son’s performance. “He trusted his shots and the work he’s put in, and he executed well. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s always special to leave a tournament holding a trophy.”
Khachanov, 29, who has seven career titles all on hard courts, had earlier survived a match point in his semifinal against top-seeded Alexander Zverev. Reflecting on his run, Khachanov said, “It’s a positive experience with some great battles and wins against top players.”
Notably, top-ranked Jannik Sinner, the 2023 Toronto champion, and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz did not participate, focusing instead on preparing for the upcoming U.S. Open.
In doubles, Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool won the all-English final by overcoming Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 6-3, 6-7 (5), 13-11. The second-seeded pair, who are also Wimbledon champions, extended their winning streak to 19 matches.
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