PDF Draw<\/a><\/p>\nThoughts on the Draw<\/p>\n
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First Quarter: Led by Alexander Zverev (1)<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Alexander Zverev (1), Taylor Fritz (7), Learner Tien (12), Francisco Cer\u00fandolo (16), Tommy Paul (17), Ugo Humbert (24), Matteo Arnaldi (30), Raphael Collignon (32)<\/p>\n
Notable Early Matches<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Sonego vs Tallon Griekspoor
\nAlex Michelsen vs Jan-Lennard Struff
\nGa\u00ebl Monfils vs Kamil Majchrzak
\nGiovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp<\/p>\n
Analysis<\/p>\n
On paper, Zverev has landed one of the friendlier sections of the draw.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
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\u2019s knee issue seems to keep cropping up.<\/p>\n
Ga\u00ebl 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s aggressive first-strike tennis always makes him dangerous on faster surfaces.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t exactly an ideal start to the US Open series.<\/p>\n
Overall, this quarter feels relatively straightforward as Zverev has avoided many of the draw\u2019s biggest floaters and should expect to reach the last eight.<\/p>\n
Second Quarter: Led by Daniil Medvedev (4)<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Daniil Medvedev (4), Ben Shelton (5), Casper Ruud (9), Jakub Men\u0161\u00edk (13), Karen Khachanov (21), Jo\u00e3o Fonseca (22), Alejandro Tabilo (25), Zizou Bergs (31)<\/p>\n
Notable Early Matches<\/p>\n
Jack Draper vs Terence Atmane
\nGiovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp
\nJuan Manuel Cer\u00fandolo vs Hamad Medjedovic
\nSebastian B\u00e1ez vs Mattia Bellucci<\/p>\n
Analysis<\/p>\n
Almost every section in this quarter contains a player capable of making a serious run.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Should the Russian progress, Hubert Hurkacz potentially awaits. Although injuries have plagued him of late, Hurkacz remains one of the Tour\u2019s biggest servers and has troubled Medvedev before.<\/p>\n
Further down sits Jakub Men\u0161\u00edk. The Czech flopped in Washington but has firepower from both wings, and if he stays present mentally, then he\u2019s capable of going all the way.<\/p>\n
Jack Draper\u2019s 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\u2019re not match sharp it\u2019s going to be hard work.<\/p>\n
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\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n
Defending champion Ben Shelton is also in this section and probably has the cleanest path through the bottom section.<\/p>\n
The American\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Jo\u00e3o Fonseca and Casper Ruud could also meet in an entertaining fourth-round contest. Fonseca\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Third Quarter: Led by Alex de Minaur (3)<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: Alex de Minaur (3), Ji\u0159\u00ed Lehe\u010dka (8), Lorenzo Musetti (11), Valentin Vacherot (14), Arthur Fils (18), Rafael J\u00f3dar (20), Alexander Blockx (27), Ignacio Buse (29)<\/p>\n
Notable Early Matches<\/p>\n
Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone
\nDenis Shapovalov vs Zachary Svajda
\nCameron Norrie vs Camilo Ugo Carabelli
\nM\u00e1rton Fucsovics vs Corentin Moutet<\/p>\n
Analysis<\/p>\n
While the second quarter is stacked with established names, this section feels like the one most likely to produce a surprise semi-finalist.<\/p>\n
Lehe\u010dka has been decent on hard courts over the last twelve months. But you never really feel totally confident in his game.<\/p>\n
The Czech could find himself facing Alexander Blockx in the third round. The Belgian has developed into one of the Tour\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Rafael J\u00f3dar. He is currently in the Washington semi-finals, and his\u00a0all-court development has been rapid enough that another deep Masters run would hardly qualify as a shock.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s got a paltry 8:8 win-loss ratio at this event.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Alex de Minaur is the top seed in this section and probably the man to beat. Can he win it? Maybe, but it\u2019s not unthinkable he booked his honeymoon during finals weekend (for those unaware, he got married on the Sunday of the Wimbledon final \ud83d\ude01)<\/p>\n
While he\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fourth Quarter: Led by F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime (2)<\/p>\n
Seeded Players: F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime (2), Flavio Cobolli (6), Andrey Rublev (10), Frances Tiafoe (15), Luciano Darderi (19), Arthur Rinderknech (23), Brandon Nakashima (28), Tom\u00e1s Mart\u00edn Etcheverry (26)<\/p>\n
Notable Early Matches<\/p>\n
Gabriel Diallo vs Qualifier
\nShang Juncheng vs Adria Vallejo
\nMarin \u010cili\u0107 vs Qualifier
\nNuno Borges vs Aleksandar Kovacevic<\/p>\n
Analysis<\/p>\n
All eyes in Montreal will be fixed on F\u00e9lix 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.<\/p>\n
I have my doubts as his bland tennis never screams M1000 winner and his draw isn\u2019t straightforward. Brandon Nakashima is a potential third-round opponent; he\u2019s currently in the Washington semi-finals after some decent wins, so he could be tricky, although it\u2019s not easy to back up a good week with another straight after.<\/p>\n
Further up sits Frances Tiafoe. The American has patches of consistency, but you\u2019ve still got to put him in the streaky performer bracket.\u00a0At 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.<\/p>\n
Flavio Cobolli also lands in this section after decent results in Paris and London. Can he deliver on hard courts?<\/p>\n
Felix isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Best First-Round Matches to Watch<\/p>\n
Jack Draper vs Terence Atmane \u2013 Draper couldn\u2019t have drawn a much trickier return match. Atmane\u2019s heavy left-handed forehand and aggressive court positioning make him a dangerous opener for someone lacking recent match practice.<\/p>\n
Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone \u2013 Berrettini continues rebuilding after another injury setback. Navone will relish extending rallies, making this an intriguing contrast in styles.<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Sonego vs Tallon Griekspoor \u2013 A quality opening-round contest between two established Top 50 players, with the winner earning a crack at Alexander Zverev.<\/p>\n
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Botic van de Zandschulp \u2013 One of the biggest serves on Tour meets one of its most intelligent tacticians.<\/p>\n
Alex Michelsen vs Jan-Lennard Struff \u2013 Youth versus experience. Michelsen continues climbing the rankings, while Struff remains capable of overpowering opponents when his first serve is firing.<\/p>\n
Denis Shapovalov vs Zachary Svajda \u2013 Shapovalov always attracts attention in Canada, and a strong opening performance could reignite hopes of another deep run.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 National Bank Open draw is out, and it\u2019s perhaps the most neglected of all Masters 1000s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":840846,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[442],"tags":[49,48,82,593],"class_list":["post-840845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/840846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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