Defending champ Shelton finding tournament sweet spot in Montreal

Ben Shelton begins defense of his ATP Montreal Masters title with a goal of full flow at the US Open starting August 31.

Shelton planned a three-tournament run-up: Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati, with a week off before the US Open.

The 12-day extended Montreal Masters was delayed by rain, and it has drawn criticism; top players Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are absent.

Alexander Zverev is the top seed, ahead of Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime; Shelton is the fifth seed.

Shelton is not worried about defending the 1,000 ranking points from his 2025 victory, focusing on playing well.