Shelton defeats Khachanov and celebrates first Masters 1000 title

In the absence of top stars Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, the field opened up for others in Toronto. Two powerful players of impressive stature faced each other in the final.

Shelton follows in Roddick's footsteps

The 1.93 m tall Ben Shelton (ATP 7) impressed with his power against his even taller opponent Karen Khachanov (ATP 16). After 2:48 hours, the match was only decided in the tie-break of the third set, in which there had not been a single chance to break. Shelton clearly dominated the final showdown and secured his third title on the ATP Tour after his tournament victories in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston in 2024.

At 22, he is the youngest American to win a tournament in this category since Andy Roddick triumphed in Miami in 2004. At the end of the month, Shelton will be one of the secret favorites at the US Open, the fourth Grand Slam of the year. He had already reached the semi-finals in New York in 2023.

Khachanov jokes

Khachanov, who himself won a Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy in 2018, was nevertheless in a joking mood after his defeat in the final. "I spoke to your father three years ago, you were still playing at college at the time, and I advised him to send you to the ATP Tour. Maybe I shouldn't have done that," joked the Russian at the presentation ceremony. At the same time, he paid tribute to his opponent: "He's well looked after, well-mannered, one of the most likeable guys on tour."

Shelton, who already reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2025, thanked "a father who believes in me, who pushes me and is always honest with me" at the award ceremony. Bryan Shelton himself had won two tournaments on the ATP Tour in the early nineties, but had never made it past 55th place in the world rankings.

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