Toronto Masters 1000: Khachanov and Shelton, qualified for the final, will face off for the title

We now know the lineup for the Toronto Masters 1000 final. Karen Khachanov, already a champion in this tournament category, will take on Ben Shelton, who is a newcomer at this stage of the competition in Masters 1000 events.

Both underdogs in their semifinals against the tournament's top two seeds, the two men managed to fight their way to the final. Against Alexander Zverev, the Russian, ranked 16th in the world, saved a match point before securing victory.

Facing an opponent who had previously dominated him in their head-to-head record (5-2 Zverev before this match), the 29-year-old Khachanov ultimately prevailed in the third-set tiebreak (6-3, 4-6, 7-6 in 2 hours and 51 minutes) to reach his second Masters 1000 final.

Nearly seven years after his first triumph over Novak Djokovic at Paris-Bercy, Khachanov, who was also a semifinalist in Canada in 2018, has now improved his career-best performance at this North American tournament.

In the final, he will have to overcome Ben Shelton. The American, ranked 7th in the world, dominated Taylor Fritz in an all-American top-10 showdown (6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and 18 minutes). Solid throughout, the left-hander conceded just two break points (both saved) and was clinical on return, converting three breaks.

Ultimately, a double fault from his opponent sealed the 22-year-old’s place in his first Masters 1000 final. With this achievement, he also becomes the youngest American player to reach a final in this tournament category since Andy Roddick in Miami in 2004.

Khachanov and Shelton, who will battle for the title this Thursday, have faced each other only once before on the ATP Tour. In the third round of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, the American got the better of his upcoming opponent (6-3, 7-5), but the stakes will be even higher for both men this time around.

In the last three editions of the Canadian Open, three players who had never previously won a Masters 1000 title triumphed (Carreño Busta in 2022, Sinner in 2023, and Popyrin in 2024). If successful, Shelton will extend this streak and etch his name into the history of one of the ATP Tour’s most prestigious tournaments.