The National Bank Open in Canada have reached the latter stages. The final eight across the ATP and WTA remain in the hunt for a Masters 1000 title.
One of last year’s defending champions remains in the draw, hoping they can go back-to-back. Many former 1000 title winners will be hoping to claim a huge points haul to improve their ranking. As well as their positioning in the race to reach the finals at the end of the year.
ATP
For the first time in ATP history, all of the quarter-finalists at a Masters event were born after the turn of the millennium.
American Ben Shelton is looking to defend his title from 2025, but the 23-year-old will face one of the toughest names remaining in the tournament.
Getty ImagesEditorial imageLoading image…
Embed from Getty ImagesOpen this image on Getty Images
Two young Spanish hotshots, Rafa Jodar and Daniel Merida, are looking to rise to the top of Spanish tennis with Carlos Alcaraz still nursing a wrist injury.
And Learner Tien, the Next-Gen 2025 champion, continues to go from strength to strength as he seeks to reach his first ATP 1000 semi-final.
After big seeds were taken down in previous rounds, the draw is wide open for gaining big points and prize money.
Arthur Fils Versus Rafa Jodar
Arthur Fils’ return to action in 2026 after a back injury has been incredible. He faces 19-year-old Jodar, who continues to rise in the rankings after his breakout year.
The pair have faced off twice, but only once on a hard court; Jodar won that matchup in Washington at the Mubadala DC Open.
Both players are in spectacular form, so expect a three-set thriller between two of the top 20 in the world.
There is a very high likelihood that one of these players reaches the final.
Brandon Nakashima Versus Luciano Darderi
Brandon Nakashima is on the best run of his season, playing some of his greatest tennis on the hard courts of North America.
‘B-Nak’ will face Italian Luciano Darderi, a player who struggles performing on hard courts but has produced some splendid tennis this week in Canada.
Darderi only has a 30% win rate on hard terrain, making it his weakest surface with only 15 wins across his entire pro career.
Nakashima will be the favourite in this match, but Darderi’s passion and desire can certainly cause some issues for Nakashima and his team.
The players have faced off twice, both winning a match; but on hard court, Nakashima has the edge.
The winner of this tie will face either Jodar or Fils.
Ben Shelton Versus Jakub Mensik
The battle of the two Masters 1000 winners. A match worthy of the final itself, but the two hard-court specialists will face off in a quarter-final bout.
Shelton has been formidable across hard courts since turning pro, but Jakub Mensik has never been too far adrift.
The pressure is firmly on the American’s shoulders as he defends his title and potentially his ranking inside the ATP top 10.
Mensik has not been in the greatest form this year; some injuries have prevented him from playing his best tennis.
The Czech at times has seemed rather lackadaisical in some matches. However, expect him to be fully motivated for this matchup.
In the head-to-head, Mensik has one more win over his opponent, whom he has met three times. On hard courts, they have a win apiece.
Mensik has beaten Shelton at a Masters event previously. Back in 2025, he won a three-set thriller at Indian Wells.
It will undoubtedly be the tie of the round.
Learner Tien vs Daniel Merida
Tien has burst onto the ATP scene and will compete in his second quarter-final at a 1000-level event. He goes into the match as the favourite.
He will face the Spaniard Merida, who is the only unseeded player left in the tournament.
This will be the first match between the players on the professional tour. Tien has experience at the Masters events, going on multiple strong runs.
Merida has qualified for three of this year’s 1000 events. The National Bank Open has been his strongest run, but Tien certainly has the upper hand.
It will be an exciting but complex match as both players learn how the other plays.
The winner will face either Shelton or Mensik.
WTA
The WTA quarter-finals are stacked with hard-court grand slam winners and 1000-level event winners.
Six of the remaining eight are multiple-time champions in this level of play. Iga Swiatek is, beyond doubt, the most decorated athlete amongst the competitors. Yet her performances this year have caused her to lose some of the fear factor she carries.
Diana Shnaider Versus Iga Swiatek
In the midst of a poor season, Swiatek has found some form this week in Canada. Although her opponent, Diana Shnaider, is no stranger to knocking out potential champions from a tournament.
Shnaider knocked Aryna Sabalenka out of Roland Garros, and with her form improving over the year. She will certainly push Swiatek to the end.
They’ve faced off once previously; Swiatek won in three sets at Rome’s Masters event.
The expectation amongst fans are that Swiatek will win in straight sets. However, Shnaider should never be counted out of being able to get under the skin of her fragile opponent.
Ekaterina Alexandrova Versus Elina Svitolina
Just like Shnaider, Ekaterina Alexandrova has defeated Sabalenka, but will now face a resurging Elina Svitolina.
Svitolina has been one of the standout WTA stars in 2026, whereas her opponent has been mellow, with many mid-round exits.
Svitolina has dominated her opponent in the head-to-head record. Winning three of the four matches. This will be the fifth meeting between the pair but a first since 2021.
Tennis enthusiasts expect Svitolina to dominate this match; the Ukrainian has been revitalised in the latter stages of her career. Playing aggressive yet controlled tennis and shows that ability on the hard courts supremely well.
Belinda Bencic Versus Coco Gauff
This pair have faced off twice this year. It has gone to a deciding set in both matches. It will be yet another fascinating match.
Coco Gauff has beaten Belinda Bencic in their matchups this year; her mentality always carries her to the finish line.
If Bencic can also stay level-headed, there is no reason she can’t finally get a win in 2026 against the 22-year-old.
When Gauff is performing at her best, she is imperious. Only let down by her double faults, a statistic she definitely doesn’t want to be leading.
The athletes always bring out the best in each other. But it won’t go down as the WTA tie of the tournament so far, which belongs to our final quarterfinal match-up.
Naomi Osaka Versus Elena Rybakina
A clash between two former grand slam champions on hard courts.
The former Australian Open champion, Elena Rybakina, faces off against Naomi Osaka. The Japanese powerhouse, who has won four slams on hard surfaces.
Both players have a lethal serve and are dominant around the baseline, so expect a real back-and-forth between them. Longer rallies and exchanges from deep in the court will create some real entertainment for spectators.
The players have never faced each other before and are two names who wouldn’t be put past reaching the final.
Osaka will be looking to win the tournament that slipped away from her last year. She has looked remarkable so far this tournament.
Rybakina has been very inconsistent. The 27-year-old has struggled in recent matches, and with Osaka in hot form, she will really need to be in her Australian Open form.
Getty ImagesEditorial imageLoading image…
Embed from Getty ImagesOpen this image on Getty Images
These matches will be played between August 10th and August 12th.
For more tennis news, click here.
