Ben Shelton arrived in Cincinnati with arguably the strongest momentum of his season. The American had just defended his Canadian Open title, defeating fellow American Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) in Montreal without dropping a set all week. It was his second consecutive Masters 1000 title in Canada and another significant step after a difficult stretch earlier in the season.
Instead, Shelton's Cincinnati campaign ended in the opening round, with Jaime Faria producing a 6-4, 6-4 upset. The Portuguese player, ranked No. 82, secured the biggest win of his career against the reigning Canadian Open champion, while Shelton failed to reproduce the level that had carried him through six straight wins in Montreal.
The result also placed Shelton inside one of the strangest recent patterns on the ATP Tour. According to Jeu, Set et Maths, he became the 13th Canadian Open champion since 1990 to lose his first match in Cincinnati. More remarkably, four of the last five players to win the Canadian Masters 1000 have suffered the same fate in Ohio.
Pablo Carreno Busta started the current sequence in 2022, followed by Jannik Sinner in 2023 and Alexei Popyrin in 2024. Shelton himself briefly interrupted the trend last year by reaching the Cincinnati quarter-finals, but his early defeat this time means that the Canadian Open champion has still not reached the Cincinnati semi-finals in the last five editions.
Carreno Busta, Sinner and Popyrin all fell before Shelton
Carreno Busta's 2022 Canadian Open victory was one of the biggest achievements of his career. The Spaniard defeated Hubert Hurkacz in the Montreal final to claim his first Masters 1000 title, completing a breakthrough that had previously seemed just out of reach. But the turnaround to Cincinnati brought a completely different story, as he lost his opening match.
Sinner suffered the same fate in 2023. The Italian arrived in Cincinnati after defeating Alex de Minaur in the Toronto final for his first Masters 1000 crown. Despite the momentum of a breakthrough title and a season in which he was rapidly establishing himself among the sport's elite, Sinner was beaten by Dusan Lajovic in his first match in Ohio.
Popyrin then made it three consecutive examples in 2024. The Australian stunned the field in Montreal, beating Andrey Rublev in the final to win the biggest title of his career. Cincinnati offered no continuation of that run, however, as Popyrin also departed in the opening round.
Shelton finally changed the pattern last year. After winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada, he reached the Cincinnati quarter-finals before losing to Alexander Zverev. It remains the deepest Cincinnati run by a Canadian Open champion during this five-year stretch.
📊 Pour la 13e fois depuis 1990, et surtout pour la 4e fois sur les 5 dernières éditions, le vainqueur du Masters 1000 du Canada s'est incliné dès son entrée en lice à Cincinnati :
— Jeu, Set et Maths (@JeuSetMaths) August 17, 2026
▪️ 2022 : Pablo Carreno Busta 🇪🇸 (1er tour ❌)
▪️ 2023 : Jannik Sinner 🇮🇹 (1er tour ❌)
▪️ 2024 :… pic.twitter.com/XHDQHGrwnJ
The 2026 edition has therefore restored the pattern in dramatic fashion. Shelton did not simply arrive as another player following a Masters 1000 title; he came to Cincinnati as a defending champion who had just won the same tournament for a second straight year, becoming only the fourth man this century to accomplish the feat after Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
His defeat to Faria now leaves an unusually clean statistic: four of the last five Canadian Open champions have lost their opening match in Cincinnati, and none has gone beyond the quarter-finals.
That does not make the two events causally linked, but it does make the sequence increasingly difficult to dismiss as a coincidence. For Shelton, the contrast is particularly striking. He left Montreal with back-to-back Masters 1000 titles and a six-match winning streak; he left Cincinnati after two sets and another entry in one of the ATP Tour's strangest recent patterns.
How Canadian Open champions have fared in Cincinnati and New York
| Year | Canada Champion | Cincinnati (same year) | US Open (same year) |
| 2006 | Roger Federer | 2nd round | Champion |
| 2007 | Novak Djokovic | 2nd round | Final |
| 2008 | Rafael Nadal | Semifinal | Semifinal |
| 2009 | Andy Murray | Semifinal | 4th round |
| 2010 | Andy Murray | Quarterfinal | 3rd round |
| 2011 | Novak Djokovic | Final | Champion |
| 2012 | Novak Djokovic | Final | Final |
| 2013 | Rafael Nadal | Champion | Champion |
| 2014 | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 1st round | 4th round |
| 2015 | Andy Murray | Semifinal | 4th round |
| 2016 | Novak Djokovic | Did not play | Final |
| 2017 | Alexander Zverev | 2nd round | 2nd round |
| 2018 | Rafael Nadal | Did not play | Semifinal |
| 2019 | Rafael Nadal | Did not play | Champion |
| 2020 | — (not held, COVID-19) | — | — |
| 2021 | Daniil Medvedev | Semifinal | Champion |
| 2022 | Pablo Carreño Busta | 1st round | 4th round |
| 2023 | Jannik Sinner | 1st round | 4th round |
| 2024 | Alexei Popyrin | 1st round | 4th round |
| 2025 | Ben Shelton | Quarterfinal | 3rd round |
| 2026 | Ben Shelton | 1st round | To be played |
Only one player has completed the Canadian Open-Cincinnati double in the period covered: Rafael Nadal in 2013. The Spaniard went one step further that year, winning the US Open to complete a remarkable three-title run across the North American hard-court swing.
Novak Djokovic also managed the Canadian Open-US Open double in 2011, although he lost the Cincinnati final to Andy Murray. Daniil Medvedev followed a similar path in 2021, winning Canada before reaching the Cincinnati semifinals and then lifting the US Open trophy.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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