Felix Auger-Aliassime will have little room for comfort as he begins his bid for an ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, where he is playing in front of home support as the No 2 seed.

With No 1 Jannik Sinner, No 3 Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic all absent, the Canadian would ordinarily have looked well placed to challenge for the trophy. Instead, the draw has given him a demanding route, with Brandon Nakashima, Arthur Rinderknech, Marin Cilic and Frances Tiafoe all sitting in his quarter.

Top seed Alexander Zverev enters as the leading contender after a strong run that has already brought him his first Grand Slam title at the French Open and his first Wimbledon final. Zverev will begin against Lorenzo Sonego or Tallon Griekspoor, and Taylor Fritz could be waiting in the quarter-finals if both progress as expected.

Pressure will also rest on Ben Shelton, who must defend both his title and the 1,000 ranking points he earned with the biggest win of his career last year. Shelton may meet Jenson Brooksby in the second round, while Joao Fonseca is also in his section.

The absence of Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic has again prompted debate over whether the leading players should be required to appear at Masters 1000 events. Tournament director Valerie Tetreault acknowledged the disappointment, saying: “We are obviously very disappointed that Jannik and Novak won’t be joining us in Montreal this year, especially after they also withdrew from last year’s tournament in Toronto,”

She added: “We respect their decisions and understand that, with such a demanding schedule, players’ health must remain the priority.

“That said, we believe the frequency of these last-minute withdrawals in the last few years raises a broader issue for our sport.

“Masters 1000 events are among the flagship tournaments on the tour, and fans rightfully expect to see the world’s best compete.

“We are already in discussions with the ATP to ensure this matter receives serious consideration.”

Possible quarter-final line-up in Montreal:

Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Taylor Fritz (USA)

Daniil Medvedev vs Ben Shelton (USA)

Alex de Minaur (AUS) vs Jiri Lehecka (CZE)

Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs Flavio Cobolli (ITA)

Alexander Zverev has spent the last two seasons trying to close the gap on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, with results that have varied from week to week. Even so, his standing remains clear: he is widely viewed as the third-best player on the ATP Tour at present.

This season, Zverev also took a major step forward while Alcaraz was sidelined for five months between April and August with a wrist injury. During that window, the German captured the first Grand Slam title of his career at Roland Garros and then reached the Wimbledon final for the first time.

With his return to tennis approaching on the North American hardcourt swing, Zverev discussed his matchups with the two leading figures on the ATP Tour. In an interview with Knossi, he was asked which of the pair he prefers to face.

“I like playing against Alcaraz. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but the matches against him are always incredible and fun,” said the world No 2.

“We’ve always played fantastic matches, tough battles, like this year in Australia, where we went on for five and a half hours. In the end I lost, but I had a lot of fun.

“ Sinner? At the beginning of my career I liked playing against him. But now I’ve lost the last 7-8 matches, he’s improved his game a lot, he’s very consistent and never gives you anything. Against Sinner you always feel like you’re playing at a disadvantage.”

The numbers back up that view. Zverev has lost his last 11 matches against Sinner, including five meetings this year, and has not beaten him since the US Open in 2023. Their head-to-head sits at 11-4 in Sinner’s favour.

Against Alcaraz, the picture is far more competitive. Zverev has lost four of their last five, but the overall record is 7-6 to Alcaraz. The German has beaten the Spaniard in two Grand Slams and also at the ATP Finals, while his wins over Sinner have come twice at the US Open, as well as in Cologne and at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Zverev will soon have both players in his path again, with Alcaraz due back at the Cincinnati Open in mid-August.

Ben Shelton extended his strong week at the Washington Open with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert.

The American dropped a first-set tie-break to the Frenchman, but regrouped well and claimed the next two sets in front of an enthusiastic Washington crowd. The victory sends Shelton into a quarter-final meeting with Alejandro Tabilo, who has also impressed at the ATP 500 event by beating Tallon Griekspoor and Terence Atmane. Shelton and Tabilo have never faced each other before, and the American will hope the home support can give him an edge.

Shelton was quick to acknowledge the atmosphere after the match, praising the crowd during his on-court interview. “I’m addicted to this kind of thing: playing in these atmospheres and competing in these kinds of matches,” said Shelton after beating the Frenchman.

“Washington has one of the best atmospheres in tennis, no doubt. I think we both produced an excellent level of tennis tonight. It’s even more enjoyable to leave the court with the win.

“I’m very grateful to have another opportunity to play here, on a Friday night in Washington. I knew my chances would come if I stayed solid on my serve.”

Shelton has still never won the Washington Open, but he has made deep runs in each of the last two seasons, reaching the semi-finals in both 2024 and 2025. His previous results at the event include a second-round exit in 2023 and a quarter-final run now in 2026.

He also reached the doubles final in Washington, partnering Mackenzie McDonald to beat Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara, as well as Alexander Bublik and Tallon Griekspoor, before losing the title match to Máximo González and Andrés Molteni in a 10-point tie-break.

Shelton, who is currently No 10 in the live rankings after reaching a career-high of No 5 earlier this season, will be aiming to add another title push in Washington. He also faces 1000 points to defend at the Canadian Open, which he won in 2025.