Shelton wins back-to-back Canadian Opens with victory over Nakashima

Ben Shelton captured his second consecutive Canadian Open championship on Thursday, overpowering fellow American Brandon Nakashima in a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory. This win marks Shelton's seventh career title and his second Masters 1000 crown, solidifying his strong performance on the tour.

The final, contested entirely by American players, was the first Masters 1000 final between two U.S. men since Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish in Cincinnati in 2003. This outcome provides an encouraging outlook for American men's tennis as it approaches the U.S. Open, a tournament where the United States has not seen a men's singles champion since Roddick's victory in the same year.

Shelton arrived in Canada after a challenging period, having experienced early exits at Wimbledon and the French Open, and managing only one win across his first four Masters 1000 events this season. However, he found his best form on the Canadian hard courts, progressing through the draw without dropping a set.

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To play the way that I've played this week, to go through this draw without dropping a set, I think it speaks a lot to the work that I've been putting in, but it speaks a lot to my mental toughness.

"To play the way that I've played this week, to go through this draw without dropping a set, I think it speaks a lot to the work that I've been putting in, but it speaks a lot to my mental toughness," Shelton stated after his victory. He added, "It hasn't been the best for me, easiest or most straightforward year for me, to put together a performance like this and playing at the top of my game, I have no words."

Shelton became the first Canadian Open champion since Novak Djokovic in 2016 to win the tournament without losing a set. He also became the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2019 to successfully defend the title, demonstrating a remarkable consistency and dominance throughout the event.

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It hasn't been the best for me, easiest or most straightforward year for me, to put together a performance like this and playing at the top of my game, I have no words.