Canada Masters 2026: Lendl Still Reigns, Nadal Holds Second as the North American Swing Begins with More Questions Than Answers

The North American hard-court swing is officially underway and, as it does every summer, the Canada Masters provides the first major checkpoint on the road to the US Open.

The historic tournament, which alternates between Montreal and Toronto, signals the start of one of the toughest stretches on the tennis calendar. It also offers the field a golden opportunity to capture one of the most prestigious titles outside the four Grand Slams.

The 2026 edition arrives with a very different look. Jannik Sinner, the reigning Wimbledon champion and World No. 1, has decided to sit out Montreal to prioritise his recovery after an extremely demanding first half of the season.

Novak Djokovic has also withdrawn as he carefully manages his workload, while Carlos Alcaraz continues to recover from the wrist injury that has kept him off the court for several months.

With three of the sport’s biggest names missing, Alexander Zverev enters the tournament as the top seed and the man to beat. The German has a huge opportunity to add another heavyweight title to what is already shaping up to be the best season of his career.

Ivan Lendl remains on top of the all-time ranking

The tournament has changed names several times over the years, but the Canada Masters remains one of the most historic stops on the ATP Tour.

In the Tennis Race for History all-time ranking, Ivan Lendl continues to lead the way after producing a level of dominance that very few players have ever matched in Canada.

The Czech-born American finished his career at the tournament with:

• 6 titles
• 9 finals
• 15 appearances
• A 57–9 win-loss record
• An 86.36% winning percentage

Lendl won 57 of the 66 matches he played at the event. His relentless consistency throughout the 1980s still makes him the undisputed benchmark in the tournament’s history.

Rafael Nadal holds an outstanding second place

Next up in the ranking is Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard lifted the Canada Masters trophy five times, once again proving that his greatness stretched far beyond his legendary clay-court dominance.

His numbers speak for themselves:

• 5 titles
• 5 finals
• 13 appearances
• A 38–8 win-loss record
• An 82.61% winning percentage

Nadal won every Canada Masters final he reached, compiling a perfect 5–0 record in championship matches. That flawless conversion rate and outstanding overall record keep him firmly in second place in the historical standings.

Djokovic will have to wait before making another move

Third place currently belongs to Novak Djokovic, one of the greatest Masters 1000 performers the game has ever seen.

The Serbian’s Canada Masters résumé includes:

• 4 titles
• 5 finals
• 11 appearances
• A 37–7 win-loss record
• An 84.09% winning percentage

Interestingly, Djokovic’s winning percentage in Canada is higher than Nadal’s. However, Nadal remains ahead in the TRH ranking thanks to his five titles and perfect record in finals.

Djokovic will not have the chance to close the gap on Lendl and Nadal this year after pulling out of the Montreal event. His focus now shifts towards arriving in peak condition for Cincinnati and, above all, the US Open, where he will look to add another chapter to his extraordinary career.

Sinner owns the season but skips Canada

The standout player on Tour in 2026 has been Jannik Sinner.

The Italian has put together a remarkable first half of the season, winning Wimbledon and completing a historic sweep of the three clay-court Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

That run has cemented his status as the dominant force in men’s tennis this year.

However, such a heavy workload comes at a cost. The World No. 1 has chosen to recharge the batteries and skip Montreal, giving himself more time to prepare for the decisive final stretch of the season.

Zverev inherits top billing

The absences of Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz completely open up the draw.

Alexander Zverev is the clear favourite on paper after winning Roland-Garros and reaching the Wimbledon final. The German is playing the best tennis of his career and now has a prime opportunity to make another deep run at Masters 1000 level.

He will not have it all his own way, though.

Home favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime, defending champion Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev will all be looking to cash in on a rare opening and land one of the biggest titles on the calendar.

With the usual heavyweights missing, the door is wide open for a new champion—or for one of the established contenders to make a major move.

An all-time ranking that can still change

Ivan Lendl continues to lead the Canada Masters All-Time Ranking, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic completing a podium made up of three genuine legends of the sport.

The generational shift, however, is already underway.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will both miss the 2026 edition, but they still have plenty of seasons ahead of them to chase down the records set by the tournament’s greatest champions.

The North American hard-court swing has only just begun.

Montreal may be missing several of its biggest stars this year, but the road to the 2026 US Open still promises plenty of fireworks—and a golden opportunity for another player to write his name into Canada Masters history.

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