Taylor Fritz has achieved a milestone no American male player has reached in the ATP Masters 1000 series since its 2009 expansion. The world No. 4 secured a hard-fought victory over Jiri Lehecka in the third round of the 2025 Canadian Open, becoming the first player from outside Europe to reach the quarterfinals of all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

Fritz, seeded second, battled through a tense, high-quality contest against Lehecka that lasted nearly three hours. The match featured no breaks of serve, with Fritz eventually prevailing 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), saving nine break points to his Czech opponent’s five.

Despite the absence of several top players, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, Fritz has emerged as a standout performer in the tournament. Before this run, he had never advanced beyond the third round at this Masters event, but now he stands three wins away from the title.

His achievement places him alongside greats like Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Alcaraz, all Europeans who have reached the quarterfinals of all nine events since the series was expanded. Notably, Sinner has yet to reach the Paris Masters quarterfinals.

Fritz has previously made quarterfinals multiple times at Indian Wells (2021, 2022, 2023), Miami (2023, 2025), Monte Carlo (2022, 2023), Cincinnati (2022, 2023), Madrid (2024), Rome (2024), Shanghai (2024), and Paris (2021).

“Making all the Masters quarters is really cool,” Fritz said. “It shows consistency. Today I had to accept that parts of my game were just not there. I was bailed out by a lot of first serves, but I was making too many mistakes.”

Among American players, the challenge of this feat is underscored by the fact that the addition of the Shanghai Masters post-dated players like Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who never reached quarterfinals in Monte Carlo, while Andy Roddick never made the Monte Carlo quarters either.

Fritz’s next test comes against sixth seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the semifinals. His win also earned him 150 ATP points, moving him closer to the third spot in the rankings behind Zverev, though overtaking him this week is mathematically impossible.

The American’s focus will soon shift to the US Open, where he must defend 1300 points after finishing runner-up in 2024.

Alexei Popyrin returns to the National Bank Open in Toronto carrying the confidence of a reigning champion and a remarkable nine-match winning streak on Canadian soil dating back to 2024. The 25-year-old Australian admits he doesn’t quite understand why his results have improved here despite a less consistent 2025 season. “I think it’s just good vibes, good feelings from last year maybe,” Popyrin said following his resilient three-set victory over No. 5 seed Holger Rune.

Initially feeling the weight of defending 1,000 ranking points from his title last year, Popyrin opted to embrace the possibility of falling short upon arrival in Toronto, which in turn allowed him to play freely on court. “It’s nice to come in here and kind of accept the fact that if you lose you don’t save the 1,000 points,” he explained. “It’s just a nice feeling to just play free, and that’s what I feel I’ve been doing this week.”

The Australian has demonstrated notable mental toughness this week, overcoming first-set deficits against higher-ranked opponents Rune and Daniil Medvedev, a contrast to his 15-16 win-loss record so far in 2025. His potent serve-forehand combination will be essential as he prepares to face the tournament’s top seed, Alexander Zverev.

Zverev, refreshed from time spent at the Rafa Nadal Academy post-Wimbledon, holds a 3-0 lead in their head-to-head matchups without conceding a set; however, two of those matches date back before 2020, and Popyrin’s progress since then suggests this meeting could be more competitive. The Australian has capitalized on opportunities in Toronto before and will look to do so again against the defensively minded German.

With form, momentum, and belief on his side, Popyrin is poised to challenge Zverev in a compelling encounter at the National Bank Open.

Elena Rybakina and Marta Kostyuk face off in Montreal, each eager to invigorate a season that has lacked significant momentum. Rybakina holds a solid 36-14 record this year but has claimed just one title and remains outside the Top 10 for the first time in three years. Kostyuk, who made progress in 2024, has seen her momentum slow, currently standing at 20-16 and ranked No. 28, down from No. 16.

In their recent matches at Montreal, both players showed resilience. They dropped tight first rounds to in-form opponents—Dayana Yastremska for Rybakina and McCartney Kessler for Kostyuk—yet rebounded to advance. Kostyuk notably has stretched all three of her wins to full matches, demonstrating grit and an ability to overcome adversity.

The pair have met three times previously, with Rybakina winning twice, including their latest encounter in 2024. Rybakina’s powerful and precise game gives her the edge, allowing her to take initiative early and often. While Kostyuk is sure to contest every point, the upper hand seems to belong to Rybakina given her stroke penetration and aggressive style.

“It’s always a tough battle,” Rybakina commented on their matches. “They’re noisy matches, that’s for sure.” Despite Kostyuk’s tenacity, Rybakina possesses the weapons to control the match. This encounter promises to be a competitive highlight in the WTA Montreal event.