Ben Shelton achieved a milestone in his rising career by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals of the 2025 Canadian Open, marking his first appearance in a Masters 1000 final. Shelton, ranked world No. 7, faced his compatriot and No. 4 seed in Toronto and displayed formidable serving and tactical prowess. He saved both break points he encountered early in the match and secured the decisive break in the first set during the ninth game.

In the second set, Shelton broke Fritz twice, pressing his advantage to advance to the final. The 21-year-old’s serve efficiency was impressive, winning 86% of points on his first serve and 59% on his second. Meanwhile, Fritz, known for his own powerful serve, managed to claim only 57% of his service points.

After his win, Shelton expressed his excitement and determination by writing “Even more uncharted territory. Humble and Hungry” on the camera lens.

Reflecting on his performance, Shelton said, “I’ve seen so many big improvements in my game this week, that’s what I’m most happy about, how I’m executing, how little I’m hesitating, how I’m returning. There are a lot of things to be proud about and beating two top 10 guys back to back is huge for me.”

Discussing his strategy against Fritz, Shelton noted, “When he’s standing in one corner, he’s one of the best in the world at being behind the ball and hitting it harder and harder every time. I knew I had to keep him moving and I did a great job of that… I felt like I had the ball on a string. I’m just really excited to see myself executing like this, not wondering if the shot is going to go in or out, but expecting it to go in…”

At 22 years and 291 days old during the semifinal, Shelton became the youngest American since Pete Sampras at the 1992 Cincinnati Open to record consecutive wins over top 10 players at the Masters 1000 quarterfinal and semifinal stages. Additionally, Shelton stands as the youngest American to reach a Masters 1000 final since Andy Roddick, who achieved that feat at age 21 in Toronto in 2004.

In the final, Shelton will face world No. 16 Karen Khachanov, who triumphed over top seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the other semifinal. Shelton will seek his third ATP title in what will be his fifth career final. With 450 ranking points earned from this tournament run, Shelton has narrowed the gap to world No. 6 Novak Djokovic to 160 points and would surpass Djokovic in the rankings with a victory in the final.

After his four-set loss to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, Carlos Alcaraz showed remarkable composure and readiness as he arrived at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, who had maintained an unblemished 5-0 record in major finals including consecutive Wimbledon titles in 2023 and 2024, explained how he quickly regained his equilibrium.

“I obviously didn’t want to lose any finals that I play, even more if it’s a Wimbledon final or a Grand Slam final,” said Alcaraz. “I left the court happy. I left the court proud. I left the court smiling, just thinking, ‘Ok, at some point, I have to lose a Grand Slam final. Everyone does.’ I’m just proud.”

He added that his recovery took “hours, not even days,” emphasizing gratitude for his achievements and the experience of reaching a Wimbledon final, despite the setback. Alcaraz’s approach underscores a maturity beyond his 22 years, as he transitioned swiftly from a brief summer break into preparing for the upcoming US Open season.

Alcaraz’s summer vacation involved completely stepping away from training and the gym, preferring rest over exercise. “For myself, when I’m off, I’m off,” he said with a smile. He recounted how he chose sleep over keeping up with friends’ morning runs, simply waiting for them with breakfast.

Having skipped the National Bank Open in Toronto, Alcaraz enters Cincinnati refreshed and eager to capture a Masters title that has eluded him so far. His near-miss in Cincinnati last year saw him lose a memorable final to Novak Djokovic.

His burgeoning rivalry with Sinner remains one of the key narratives in men’s tennis. The pair have shared the last seven trophies almost evenly, with Sinner holding a slight edge in recent Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz leads their overall head-to-head 8-5 but acknowledges the significance of their contest.

“I’m really happy to be building such a great rivalry against Jannik,” he said. “Jannik and I, we’ve done great things in tennis already in such a short period. I let the people talk about our rivalry or the things we have done for the history books. I’m thinking about the history we’re making in tennis, but I think we have such long careers ahead, just to see how far we can go. If we already made history in tennis or not, that’s just for the people to discuss.”

Since their inception in 1990, ATP Masters 1000 tournaments have been the most prestigious events after the Grand Slams and ATP Finals. Despite their significance, a number of accomplished players have yet to capture one of these elusive titles. We profile five of the finest players who reached Masters finals but never emerged victorious.

Frenchman Gael Monfils, with 13 ATP titles including three at the ATP 500 level, made three Masters 1000 finals but fell short each time: against Novak Djokovic in Paris (2009), Robin Soderling in Paris (2010), and Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo (2016). A career-high No. 6 in the world, Monfils also reached semi-finals in two Grand Slams and won 38 matches over top-10 opponents.

American Todd Martin reached one Masters final at the 1993 Canadian Open, losing to Mikael Pernfors. Despite eight ATP titles and two Grand Slam finals appearances, the Masters crown remained out of reach. Martin peaked at No. 4 globally and notched 34 top-10 wins in his career.

Canadian Milos Raonic, who peaked at No. 3 and accumulated eight ATP titles, was runner-up four times in Masters events, losing to Nadal and Djokovic. His lone Grand Slam final came at Wimbledon 2016, where he was defeated by Andy Murray.

Kei Nishikori won 12 ATP titles including six ATP 500 events but lost in four Masters finals, twice to Nadal and twice to Djokovic. Nishikori reached a career-high No. 4 and compiled 40 wins over top-10 opponents, with a Grand Slam final loss to Marin Cilic in 2014 marking his best Slam showing.

Undoubtedly the most decorated player without a Masters 1000 title is Yevgeny Kafelnikov. The former world No. 1 and dual Grand Slam champion won 26 ATP titles, earned Olympic gold in 2000, but lost all five Masters finals he contested to the likes of Andrei Medvedev, Thomas Enqvist, and Sebastian Grosjean. His career included six seasons in the top six and 46 wins over top-10 players.

Other notable names without a Masters title include Richard Gasquet, Fernando Gonzalez, Kevin Anderson, Matteo Berrettini, Fernando Verdasco, and Nick Kyrgios.