Best Stories from the 2026 National Bank Open

The post 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers blues are still fresh as the tournament is exactly a week old.

Over 500 000 fans gathered across Montreal and Toronto over the two weeks to experience the triumphs and surprises of the event firsthand. It simply wouldn’t be the National Bank Open without maiden 1000-level champions, as well as a finalist, in what was another memorable year.

Here are just some of the best stories from the 2026 NBO.

Shelton Goes Back-to-Back

Different city, same result for Ben Shelton.

The American No. 1 followed in compatriot Jessica Pegula’s footsteps from 2023-2024 and became the latest player to successfully defend their National Bank Open title. Shelton was the first male to do since Rafael Nadal in 2018-2019.

The 23-year-old joined more elite company thanks to his impressive run to the winner’s circle. The Atlanta-native was the first NBO men's singles champion since Novak Djokovic in 2016 to not concede a set throughout the competition. The world No. 6 defeated the likes of Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik, and Learner Tien on his way to the final, then stayed perfect with a straight-sets win over Brandon Nakashima for the title.

Shelton’s fourth trophy of the season more than doubled his career tally, having won three titles from 2023-2025.

Nakashima’s Masters 1000 Breakthrough

Despite falling just short of the title, Nakashima can still hold his head up high following his Montreal campaign. The San Diegan made the biggest final of his career at the NBO but had far from an easy route to get there.

Nakashima had to come back from a set down against Titouan Droguet in round three, then won a nearly three-hour battle with Arthur Rinderknech to reach the quarter-finals.

From there, the American No. 4 took down Luciano Darderi and the surging Rafael Jodar in straight sets to make his first ATP Masters 1000 title match. Nakashima’s best 1000-level result prior to Montreal was the fourth round.

The 25-year-old moved nine-spots up the ATP rankings to a career-high No. 22.

Swiatek Silences Critics

Iga Swiatek had a chip on her shoulder as she arrived in Toronto.

The former world No. 1 hadn’t reached a WTA final in 11 months prior to the National Bank Open, suffering shock early exits including an opening-match loss in Miami and fourth-round finish at Roland-Garros – the first time she failed to reach the French Open quarters since her 2019 debut.

However, in the Ontario capital, there was no stopping Swiatek. The six-time Grand Slam champion cruised through rounds two and three, then came back from a set down to get her revenge on Marta Kostyuk, who eliminated the Pole at Roland-Garros.

Another dominant display led Swiatek past 15^th seed Diana Shnaider and into the semifinals, where the 25-year-old was at her best in the third set to defeat Elina Svitolina.

Back and competing for a title, Swiatek silenced the critics as she put on a powerful display against Elena Rybakina to win her seventh-straight 1000-level final and hoist a 12^th WTA 1000 trophy.

“I'm really happy about this tournament. It means so much to me because these past months were not easy,” Swiatek said in her championship speech on Aug. 13 in Toronto. “I'm really happy that I kept focusing on growing, changing my game a little bit, improving despite all the opinions that many people have about me every day on the internet. It's not easy to deal with all that. So, I'm happy that the reality is different.”

The world No. 5 now has the most WTA 1000 titles among active players, surpassing Aryna Sabalenka.

Luz, Matos Make Brazilian History

For the past four years, the men’s singles draw was won by a maiden ATP Masters 1000 titlist. In 2026, that trend carried over into men’s doubles.

Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos made history for their country in Montreal as they became the first all-Brazilian pair to win a 1000-level title. The duo was also the first all-South American team to hoist the National Bank Open trophy.

Luz and Matos’ dream of a Masters 1000 title became more of a reality through each passing round. The Brazilians kicked off their run with a victory over fourth seeds Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli, before having to save match points in their next match to make the quarter-finals. The duo later defeated seventh seeds Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard as the draw was down to the final four.

The age-old rivalry between Brazil and Argentina took over IGA Stadium for the semifinals as Luz and Matos beat Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry for a place in the title match.

The Brazilians saved their biggest upset till last. Luz and Matos completed a comeback against Grand Slam champions and third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic to cap off their remarkable run in Montreal.

Eala-Mania Hit Toronto

If Toronto seemed a little louder through the first week of August, it was probably because Alexandra Eala was on court at Sobeys Stadium.

The 21-year-old was met with unforgettable sold-out crowds, filled with Filipino flags and jerseys – and even an inflatable dinosaur.

“I had the perfect fan last week [in Toronto],” Eala said in an interview with the Cincinnati Open. “He was wearing an inflatable, blue dinosaur suit and he had a Filipino flag cap and was dancing in the stands, leg up on the railing, like shaking it.”

The passionate Filipino faithful in Toronto powered Eala through a pair of hard-fought three-setters against Alycia Parks and Caty McNally before her run came to an end in the fourth round, leaving Centre Court to one last roar from the packed crowd.

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Feature Photo: Jared Wickerham/Wick Photography