Shelton, Mensik and a Masters 1000 first: Montreal’s quarter-finals are all children of the 2000s
Montreal’s quarter-finals are set. For the first time at a Masters 1000, all eight quarter-finalists were born in the 2000s. Defending champion Ben Shelton led the way, grinding past teenage sensation Joao Fonseca 6-3, 7-6(3) to stretch his Canadian streak to nine, and will meet Czech Jakub Mensik, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over Botic van de Zandschulp.
Ben Shelton, Montreal 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
For the first time ever at a Masters 1000, every one of the eight quarter-finalists was born in the 2000s. Ben Shelton (2002), Brandon Nakashima (2001), Luciano Darderi (2002), Learner Tien (2005), Jakub Mensik (2005), Arthur Fils (2004), Daniel Merida (2004) and Rafael Jodar (2006) make up the youngest elite eight the series has seen, with Nakashima – who has only just turned 25 – the oldest man standing.
In this line-up, only Shelton (Toronto 2025) and Mensik (Miami 2025) have already won a title at this level. None of the others has ever reached a semi-final — except Arthur Fils, a semi-finalist at Miami and Madrid in 2026.
Leading that charge is the defending champion. No 5 seed Shelton, the highest-ranked player left in the draw since the first days carnage, came through a gritty battle with Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca 6-3, 7-6(3) on Sunday night to stretch his winning run in Canada to nine matches and reach his first Masters quarter-final of the season, his seventh overall, and a 30th win of 2026.
“It was tough out there today and I competed well,” Shelton said. “It wasn’t easy conditions to play in. I struggled to find my footing on a lot of balls, as did he. A lot of it just comes down to grit in a match like this. So to come through against a really high-quality player like Joao is huge for me.”
The American, who had earlier beaten Zizou Bergs and Jenson Brooksby, credited his front-foot approach in the decisive moments: “For me it’s about playing aggressive tennis, getting to the net, taking the time away. I did a great job of that in the tie-break today, came up with clutch volleys, and ultimately that’s what made me win tonight.”
Fonseca: “Back to practice”
Fonseca, who had thrilled with wins over Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas, had his moments but ran into Shelton’s experience at the business end. The Brazilian teenager was clear-eyed in defeat. “It was a tough one, a match where you get very few opportunities,” the Brazilian said to ESPN. “I got broken early at the start of both sets, and I didn’t play well throughout the match, but I kept fighting. At this level you can’t afford to waste your chances, so it’s about getting back on the court and working. Training the serve, training everything. I don’t think I played well today, so it’s back to practice and on to the next one.”
Awaiting Shelton in the last eight is another of the game’s rising stars: No 13 seed Jakub Mensik, who beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5 on Monday night to reach his first Masters quarter-final since Madrid last season.
The 20-year-old Czech, who had earlier seen off Terence Atmane and Jacob Fearnley, admitted it was a grind. “It was not an easy situation with him serving for the set,” Mensik said about the 6-4, 4-5 second set. “In this set I felt like I was playing a bit worse and struggling to find rhythm. But the longer I stayed on the court, the better I felt.”
Van de Zandschulp, ranked No 70, exits after a superb week that included the scalps of Hubert Hurkacz, No 4 seed Daniil Medvedev and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard — himself a symbol of how the old guard has tumbled here, clearing the way for tennis’s teenagers and early-twenties talents to seize the stage.
