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Is Ben Shelton America’s BIGGEST CHANCE for a Slam? | ATP & WTA Canadian Open Recap
Episode 40

Is Ben Shelton America’s BIGGEST CHANCE for a Slam? | ATP & WTA Canadian Open Recap

We’re Going Five

August 9, 202543m 6s

Show Notes

Ben Shelton wins the ATP Toronto Masters after THREE final-set tiebreaks 🏆 Karen Khachanov surges back into the Top 10, Victoria Mboko shocks Montreal with a historic WTA 1000 run, Novak Djokovic skips Cincinnati + Will anyone outside Sinner & Alcaraz win the ATP Cincinnati Masters? Dive in!

 

🎾 Inside Episode 34

 

Ben Shelton, Toronto Masters King

  • First Masters 1000 title; completes the ATP 1000/500/250 set
  • New career-high World Number 6 & overtakes Novak Djokovic
  • Ice in his veins run: 3 of 6 matches decided in final set tiebreaks against Brandon Nakashima, Flavio Cobolli, Karen Khachanov)
  • Two Top-10 wins on his path to the title against Alex de Minaur & Taylor Fritz
  • Youngest ATP Masters champ since Andy Roddick

 

Karen Khachanov’s Big-Match Return

  • First Masters final since Paris-Bercy 2018
  • Back into the Top 10 rankings
  • How clutch was he? Knocked out Ruud, Michelsen, then edged Zverev in a final-set TB
  • Pushed Shelton to another final-set breaker in the championship match

 

Victoria Mboko’s Historic Montreal Title

  • First career WTA trophy and it’s a WTA 1000!
  • Beats four Grand Slam champions in one tournament: Sofia Kenin → Coco Gauff → Elena Rybakina → Naomi Osaka
  • Second-youngest to do it since Serena Williams in 1999
  • Skyrockets in the WTA Rankings from No. 337 in January to No. 25 by August (300+ spots in 8 months)

 

Spicy / No Spicy

  • Was Osaka’s lack of a public congrats to Mboko on stage… a bad look or a nothing-burger?

 

Cool Dude Moments

  • Why did the Toronto crowd erupts during Shelton–Khachanov final?
  • Why did Shelton give Khachanov a first serve—twice? 

 

Buying or Selling?

  • Two-week Masters events: growth engine or momentum killer?

 

Other Headlines

  • Novak Djokovic will skip Cincinnati—enters the US Open with no match play since Wimbledon
  • Grigor Dimitrov’s 58-Slam streak ends (from 2011 through Wimbledon 2025)

 

Overreaction or Not?

  • Khachanov makes the ATP Finals
  • Shelton overtakes Fritz as US No. 1
  • Shelton is America’s best Slam chance
  • Mboko is already a US Open favorite

 

Who Ya Got in Cincy?

• • The boys in studio make their picks!