The 2026 National Bank Open draw is out, and it’s perhaps the most neglected of all Masters 1000s on the calendar.
The ATP gave the draw just a few hundred words (compared to 1000+ for other tournaments) and top players regularly give the event a miss.
This year is no different as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are all absent, so the tournament feels very different from the other ATP Masters 1000 events we’ve seen this year.
This leaves Alexander Zverev as the top seed and presents one of the biggest opportunities of the year for the chasing pack.
While the lack of star power is always disappointing, it does create a more unpredictable Masters draw, so hopefully there are some storylines over the next fortnight.
Defending champion Ben Shelton returns looking to prove last year’s breakthrough title was no fluke, home favourite Félix Auger-Aliassime carries Canadian hopes, and players like João Fonseca, Rafael Jódar and Alexander Blockx all arrive with some decent wins over the first half of the year.
Can Zverev capitalise on Sinner’s absence and close the gap at the top of the rankings? Will Jack Draper play, or will it be another last-minute withdrawal? Here’s how the draw shapes up.
Tournament Info
Event Name: Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers / National Bank Open Presented by Rogers
Founded: 1881
Location: Montreal, Canada
Venue: IGA Stadium, 285 Rue Gary-Carter Bureau 202, Montréal, QC H2R 2W1, Canada
Surface: Outdoor Hard Court
Ball: Wilson US Open
Current Men’s Champion: Ben Shelton
Current Men’s Doubles Champions: Julian Cash / Lloyd Glasspool
Current Women’s Champion: Victoria Mboko
Current Women’s Doubles Champions: Coco Gauff / McCartney Kessler
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Draw Size: 96 Singles / 32 Qualifying / 32 Doubles
Dates: 2-13 August 2026
Prize Money: $9,415,724 – Full National Bank Open Prize Money breakdown.
Canadian Open 2026 Seeds
Seeds
Alexander Zverev
Félix Auger-Aliassime
Alex de Minaur
Daniil Medvedev
Ben Shelton
Flavio Cobolli
Taylor Fritz
Jiří Lehečka
Casper Ruud
Andrey Rublev
Lorenzo Musetti
Learner Tien
Jakub Menšík
Valentin Vacherot
Frances Tiafoe
Francisco Cerúndolo
Tommy Paul
Arthur Fils
Luciano Darderi
Rafael Jódar
Karen Khachanov
João Fonseca
Arthur Rinderknech
Ugo Humbert
Alejandro Tabilo
Tomás Martín Etcheverry
Alexander Blockx
Brandon Nakashima
Ignacio Buse
Matteo Arnaldi
Zizou Bergs
Raphaël Collignon
Wild Cards
Gabriel Diallo
Jack Draper
Liam Draxl
Alexis Galarneau
Gaël Monfils
Protected Ranking
Hubert Hurkacz
Shang Juncheng
Withdrawals
Carlos Alcaraz → replaced by Jan-Lennard Struff
Alexander Bublik → replaced by Rinky Hijikata
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina → replaced by Jenson Brooksby
Novak Djokovic → replaced by Márton Fucsovics
Sebastian Korda → replaced by Luca Van Assche
Tomáš Macháč → replaced by James Duckworth
Jannik Sinner → replaced by Valentin Royer
Lucky Losers
Qualifiers
2026 Montreal Draw
Top Half
Alexander Zverev (1) vs Bye
Lorenzo Sonego vs Tallon Griekspoor
Qualifier vs Fabian Marozsan
Bye vs Matteo Arnaldi (30)
Ugo Humbert (24) vs Bye
Daniel Merida vs Liam Draxl (WC)
Alex Michelsen vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Bye vs Francisco Cerundolo (16)
Learner Tien (12) vs Bye
Kamil Majchrzak vs Gaël Monfils (WC)
Pablo Carreno Busta vs Valentin Royer
Bye vs Tommy Paul (17)
Raphael Collignon (32) vs Bye
Qualifier vs Roman Burruchaga
Qualifier vs Thiago Tirante
Bye vs Taylor Fritz (7)
Daniil Medvedev (4) vs Bye
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Hubert Hurkacz (PR) vs Qualifier
Bye vs Alejandro Tabilo (25)
Karen Khachanov (21) vs Bye
Terence Atmane vs Jack Draper (WC)
Qualifier vs Adrian Mannarino
Bye vs Jakub Mensik (13)
Casper Ruud (9) vs Bye
Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Hamad Medjedovic
Qualifier vs Qualifier
Bye vs João Fonseca (22)
Zizou Bergs (31) vs Bye
Sebastian Baez vs Mattia Bellucci
Qualifier vs Jenson Brooksby
Bye vs Ben Shelton (5)
Bottom Half
Jiri Lehecka (8) vs Bye
Alexis Galarneau (WC) vs Vít Kopriva
Jaume Munar vs Rinky Hijikata
Bye vs Alexander Blockx (27)
Rafael Jodar (20) vs Bye
Márton Fucsovics vs Corentin Moutet
Qualifier vs Martin Landaluce
Bye vs Lorenzo Musetti (11)
Valentin Vacherot (14) vs Bye
Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone
Zachary Svajda vs Denis Shapovalov
Bye vs Arthur Fils (18)
Ignacio Buse (29) vs Bye
Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs Cameron Norrie
James Duckworth vs Qualifier
Bye vs Alex de Minaur (3)
Flavio Cobolli (6) vs Bye
Qualifier vs Yannick Hanfmann
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Nuno Borges
Bye vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry (26)
Luciano Darderi (19) vs Bye
Gabriel Diallo (WC) vs Qualifier
Adria Vallejo vs Juncheng Shang (PR)
Bye vs Andrey Rublev (10)
Frances Tiafoe (15) vs Bye
Qualifier vs Marin Cilic
Qualifier vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Bye vs Arthur Rinderknech (23)
Brandon Nakashima (28) vs Bye
Qualifier vs Daniel Altmaier
Luca Van Assche vs Qualifier
Bye vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (2)
Thoughts on the Draw
First Quarter: Led by Alexander Zverev (1)
Seeded Players: Alexander Zverev (1), Taylor Fritz (7), Learner Tien (12), Francisco Cerúndolo (16), Tommy Paul (17), Ugo Humbert (24), Matteo Arnaldi (30), Raphael Collignon (32)
Notable Early Matches
Lorenzo Sonego vs Tallon Griekspoor
Alex Michelsen vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Gaël Monfils vs Kamil Majchrzak
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Analysis
On paper, Zverev has landed one of the friendlier sections of the draw.
The German opens against either Lorenzo Sonego or Tallon Griekspoor, two players he has enjoyed considerable success against throughout his career (15-2 H2H combined).
The real test is likely to come later as Taylor Fritz projects as the quarter-final opponent, and while the American had dominated their recent rivalry for a spell, Zverev emphatically ended that run with a straight-sets victory at Wimbledon and Taylor’s knee issue seems to keep cropping up.
Gaël Monfils, competing in the final season of his career, remains capable of producing inspired tennis for short stretches and he has played well in Montreal with two semi-finals.
Alex Michelsen against Jan-Lennard Struff also has upset potential. Michelsen continues to improve on hard courts and has shown he belongs at this level, while Struff’s aggressive first-strike tennis always makes him dangerous on faster surfaces.
Tommy Paul also deserves respect despite an inconsistent season. His athleticism makes him awkward for almost everyone outside the very elite, but in the big-time matches he typically falls short, and his loss to Majchrzak in Washington wasn’t exactly an ideal start to the US Open series.
Overall, this quarter feels relatively straightforward as Zverev has avoided many of the draw’s biggest floaters and should expect to reach the last eight.
Second Quarter: Led by Daniil Medvedev (4)
Seeded Players: Daniil Medvedev (4), Ben Shelton (5), Casper Ruud (9), Jakub Menšík (13), Karen Khachanov (21), João Fonseca (22), Alejandro Tabilo (25), Zizou Bergs (31)
Notable Early Matches
Jack Draper vs Terence Atmane
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Juan Manuel Cerúndolo vs Hamad Medjedovic
Sebastian Báez vs Mattia Bellucci
Analysis
Almost every section in this quarter contains a player capable of making a serious run.
Medvedev headlines it, but there are very few easy matches awaiting him (plus he was pictured practising with both knees taped). His opening encounter is likely to come against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, whose serve alone can make any hard-court match uncomfortable.
Should the Russian progress, Hubert Hurkacz potentially awaits. Although injuries have plagued him of late, Hurkacz remains one of the Tour’s biggest servers and has troubled Medvedev before.
Further down sits Jakub Menšík. The Czech flopped in Washington but has firepower from both wings, and if he stays present mentally, then he’s capable of going all the way.
Jack Draper’s return also deserves attention. After a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Brit could hardly have asked for a more awkward opener than Terence Atmane. The French left-hander plays explosive tennis, and if you’re not match sharp it’s going to be hard work.
And will he even play? Being on the draw sheet is no guarantee, as he withdrew from Washington last week despite travelling there. Was he injured, or did the Montreal wild card come in last minute, and he’d rather play there? He was even listed to play in the Brownsburg Challenger in Indiana which takes part during the Cincy tournament, which he now too has a wildcard for. Messy.
Defending champion Ben Shelton is also in this section and probably has the cleanest path through the bottom section.
The American’s serve remains one of the biggest weapons on Tour and quicker North American hard courts continue to suit his game perfectly. If he rediscovers the level that earned him the title twelve months ago, another quarter-final looks well within reach, assuming he shrugs off the loss to Tabilo in Washington and avoids his customary three-set matches early doors.
João Fonseca and Casper Ruud could also meet in an entertaining fourth-round contest. Fonseca’s explosive shot-making has already delivered several landmark victories this season, while Ruud, often billed as simply a clay-court specialist, does have a US Open final on his resume.
Third Quarter: Led by Alex de Minaur (3)
Seeded Players: Alex de Minaur (3), Jiří Lehečka (8), Lorenzo Musetti (11), Valentin Vacherot (14), Arthur Fils (18), Rafael Jódar (20), Alexander Blockx (27), Ignacio Buse (29)
Notable Early Matches
Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone
Denis Shapovalov vs Zachary Svajda
Cameron Norrie vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Márton Fucsovics vs Corentin Moutet
Analysis
While the second quarter is stacked with established names, this section feels like the one most likely to produce a surprise semi-finalist.
Lehečka has been decent on hard courts over the last twelve months. But you never really feel totally confident in his game.
The Czech could find himself facing Alexander Blockx in the third round. The Belgian has developed into one of the Tour’s most intriguing young players, possessing clean ball striking off both wings. He arrives after making the final in Estoril, so he has no hard-court prep prior to Montreal.
Then there’s Rafael Jódar. He is currently in the Washington semi-finals, and his all-court development has been rapid enough that another deep Masters run would hardly qualify as a shock.
The draw also gives us the possibility of Denis Shapovalov enjoying a run on home soil. Shapovalov made the semi-finals in 2017, taking out Del Potro and Nadal, but aside from that he’s got a paltry 8:8 win-loss ratio at this event.
Shapo is playing the Los Cabos final tomorrow, and he has a habit of winning titles out of nowhere then going quiet for a few months, so can he produce in back-to-back weeks? A second-round meeting with Arthur Fils would certainly produce some fun shot-making, but I have my doubts.
Alex de Minaur is the top seed in this section and probably the man to beat. Can he win it? Maybe, but it’s not unthinkable he booked his honeymoon during finals weekend (for those unaware, he got married on the Sunday of the Wimbledon final 😁)
While he’s often called one of the worst top 10 players in history on social media, nobody works harder for every point, and with a weakened draw he should fancy his chances of picking up a 1000 title.
Fourth Quarter: Led by Félix Auger-Aliassime (2)
Seeded Players: Félix Auger-Aliassime (2), Flavio Cobolli (6), Andrey Rublev (10), Frances Tiafoe (15), Luciano Darderi (19), Arthur Rinderknech (23), Brandon Nakashima (28), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (26)
Notable Early Matches
Gabriel Diallo vs Qualifier
Shang Juncheng vs Adria Vallejo
Marin Čilić vs Qualifier
Nuno Borges vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Analysis
All eyes in Montreal will be fixed on Félix Auger-Aliassime. The withdrawals of Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic have transformed the tournament landscape, and Auger-Aliassime finds himself with an opportunity to capture the biggest title of his career in front of a home crowd.
I have my doubts as his bland tennis never screams M1000 winner and his draw isn’t straightforward. Brandon Nakashima is a potential third-round opponent; he’s currently in the Washington semi-finals after some decent wins, so he could be tricky, although it’s not easy to back up a good week with another straight after.
Further up sits Frances Tiafoe. The American has patches of consistency, but you’ve still got to put him in the streaky performer bracket. At his best, he can overwhelm almost anyone with first-strike tennis and athleticism. At his worst, unforced errors arrive in clusters. Which version turns up often determines how dangerous this section becomes.
Flavio Cobolli also lands in this section after decent results in Paris and London. Can he deliver on hard courts?
Felix isn’t the only Canadian here either, and one player who could prove particularly dangerous is Gabriel Diallo. The Canadian wildcard possesses the sort of serve and forehand combination that can translate well onto hard courts and while his season has been patchy (9:17) if he can ride the home support through the opening rounds, a meeting with Rublev could be interesting.
Best First-Round Matches to Watch
Jack Draper vs Terence Atmane – Draper couldn’t have drawn a much trickier return match. Atmane’s heavy left-handed forehand and aggressive court positioning make him a dangerous opener for someone lacking recent match practice.
Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone – Berrettini continues rebuilding after another injury setback. Navone will relish extending rallies, making this an intriguing contrast in styles.
Lorenzo Sonego vs Tallon Griekspoor – A quality opening-round contest between two established Top 50 players, with the winner earning a crack at Alexander Zverev.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp – One of the biggest serves on Tour meets one of its most intelligent tacticians.
Alex Michelsen vs Jan-Lennard Struff – Youth versus experience. Michelsen continues climbing the rankings, while Struff remains capable of overpowering opponents when his first serve is firing.
Denis Shapovalov vs Zachary Svajda – Shapovalov always attracts attention in Canada, and a strong opening performance could reignite hopes of another deep run.