The Canadian Open roars into its business end, and American firepower is lighting up the North. Since Andy Roddick’s 2003 title run, where he dismantled David Nalbandian in straight sets, no American man has lifted the trophy, with the Big Three dominating the decade. But now, the tide may finally be turning. Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton have punched their tickets to the quarterfinals, igniting a fresh wave of hope. As the North American hard-court swing heats up, Shelton and Fritz headline a fierce American resurgence, breaking through a drought last touched by the hands of Andre Agassi.
In a Toronto nightcap drenched in tension, Taylor Fritz delivered a serving masterclass, edging past Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 7-6(5) without a single break of serve exchanged. Across nearly three hours, Fritz held his nerve in every clutch moment, stamping his ticket to the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open with clinical precision.
Meanwhile, Ben Shelton made fans wait on edge for his 100th tour-level win. Down 3-5 in the final set against Flavio Cobolli, he summoned late-match fury to roar back for a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(1) triumph. With both Fritz and Shelton storming into the last eight, American tennis sees its flame burn brighter, rekindling echoes of a past lit by legends like Andre Agassi, now reborn through this new generation’s fearless fire.
Moments after Taylor Fritz survived a nerve-wracking triple tiebreak battle, OptaAce took to their X handle with a statement: “Three Americans (Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Alex Michelsen) have reached the quarter-final at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since Indian Wells in 2004 (Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, James Blake). Big.” And just like that, the echoes of American greatness rang louder than ever.
3 – Three Americans (Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Alex Michelsen) have reached the quarter-final at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since Indian Wells in 2004 (Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, James Blake). Big.#NBO25 | @NBOtoronto @atptour @ATPMediaInfo
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) August 4, 2025
Alex Michelsen, just 20 years and 336 days old, delivered a polished performance to defeat his good friend Learner Tien 6-3, 6-3. That win etched Michelsen into the record books as the youngest American to reach the Canadian Open quarter-finals since Andy Roddick in 2001. The backhand? World-class. The composure? Beyond his years.
Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, keeps stacking numbers like aces on the court. With a 35-13 season record, he now becomes the fourth player to hit the 35-win mark this year. Riding an 18-3 wave since June, including titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne and a Wimbledon semi-final run, he’s not just hot; he’s on fire. His 319 tour-level wins make him the most successful active American male player.
Ben Shelton, not to be overshadowed, just broke his own milestone. With a gritty comeback win, he now stands at 100-69 in his career, becoming the eighth man born in the 21st century to reach 100 wins. He’s also the ninth active American to join the elite club.
As these three stars make headlines, it’s Fritz who came through the trenches. After his rollercoaster clash, he shared his emotions with full grit, pride, and the heart of a warrior.
Taylor Fritz opens up after his win against Jiri Lehecka
On a pressure-cooked Sunday night at the Canadian Open, the temperature didn’t just rise, it boiled over. Taylor Fritz, still burning from a stinging Wimbledon SF exit against Alcaraz, walked back into the fire and demanded the spotlight. In the dramatic conclusion of a marathon day where every men’s singles match bled into a deciding set, the American stood tall.
Under Toronto’s gleaming lights, Fritz and Jiri Lehecka locked horns in a serving war where not a single break was conceded. But when the furnace roared hottest, it was Fritz who refused to melt. Down 0/40 at 5-6 in the opener, he dodged three set points with steel nerves. Lehecka answered with his own escape act at 0-1 in the third, but Fritz slammed the door shut late, saving one final break point at 3-all before delivering the knockout in the tie-break, ripping five of the last six points from 2/4 down. Icy calm, firepower unleashed.
Sure, it wasn’t spotless. Fritz’s all-out aggression led to 48 errors, a number that would sink most. But he never let go of the wheel. His serve? Unrelenting. He hammered down 82% of first-serve points won, laying down the foundation for a historic breakthrough, his first quarter-final appearance in Canada. And in doing so, Fritz completed the career set: quarter-finals reached at all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. A milestone carved out of grit, pain, and defiance.
“I think just in the end [it was about] really accepting what was there for me tonight,” Fritz shared later, owning the moment. “Luckily for me, I was serving really, really well tonight. He was too.” He wanted to strike boldly, but chose precision. “Just make the balls that I felt like I could make,” he added.
Now, as the tournament nears its sharp end, the American trio is locked in. Fritz is set to battle Rublev in a heavyweight quarter-final clash. Shelton, having clawed past Cobolli, prepares to take on the DC Open winner, De Minaur. And the youngest gun, Michelsen, stands face-to-face with the thunderous Khachanov.
Can they go all in, blast through, and paint Toronto in stars and stripes? The stage is set, the war drums sound.
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