National Bank Open: Dutch Revolt Topples Zverev and Medvedev as Eala, Fernandez Light Up Toronto

National Bank Open 2026 Day 5 at a Glance

TL;DR

• Tallon Griekspoor defeated top seed Alexander Zverev in three sets.
• Botic van de Zandschulp earned his first career victory over Daniil Medvedev.
• Washington champion Taylor Fritz lost in straight sets to Thiago Agustin Tirante.
• Only four of the men’s top 10 seeds remain in the Montreal draw.
• Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew before his opening match because of a back injury.
• Gael Monfils played his final National Bank Open match and received a Centre Court tribute.
• Leylah Fernandez became the only Canadian woman to reach the third round in Toronto.
• Alexandra Eala beat Alycia Parks to extend her winning streak to six matches.
• Caty McNally stunned Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova after trailing 5-1 in the first set.
• Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva and Naomi Osaka advanced.

What Most Coverage Missed: Montreal’s Draw Did Not Simply Open Up, It Lost Its Center

The headline result was Zverev’s defeat, but the deeper story involved the combined effect of three exits within the same section of the tournament.

Montreal had already begun without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, whose decisions to skip the event raised wider concerns about scheduling and player preservation. The Sports Encounter explored those absences in its analysis of why Sinner and Djokovic withdrew from Montreal.

Carlos Alcaraz then missed the tournament because of a wrist injury, while Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew shortly before his home appearance with a back problem.

Flavio Cobolli and Andrey Rublev had already lost their opening matches.

By the end of Wednesday, Zverev, Medvedev and Fritz had joined them.

The result is more serious than a conventional collection of upsets. The draw no longer possesses the central rivalry or established favorite that usually organizes an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Alex de Minaur is now the highest-ranked player remaining. Defending champion Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, Lorenzo Musetti, Arthur Fils, Jakub Mensik, Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar also advanced, but the tournament has entered a phase where opportunity and uncertainty are almost impossible to separate.

Griekspoor Finds His Answer After Months of Doubt

Griekspoor arrived in Montreal with only one victory from his previous eight tour-level matches.

Nothing about that record suggested he was ready to defeat a player who had won the French Open, reached the Wimbledon final and risen to world No. 3.

The opening set appeared to confirm the ranking difference. Zverev controlled the tiebreak 7-3 and seemed positioned to move through his first match since losing the Wimbledon final to Sinner.

Griekspoor refused to treat the lost set as confirmation of another defeat.

He attacked more decisively in the second, took advantage of a drop in Zverev’s authority and forced the German into the kind of physical and emotional contest he may not have expected in his first hard-court match of the summer.

The Dutchman completed the comeback 6-4 in the third set and earned his third victory over Zverev.

“I’ve been very close to throwing in the towel a couple of times,” Griekspoor said. “I felt like it was just a matter of time. This one is special, especially against a player like Sascha.”

Those words explain why the result carried greater weight than a routine upset.

Griekspoor was not only trying to defeat the top seed. He was searching for evidence that the work completed during a difficult period still had value.

Zverev’s Loss Raises an Awkward U.S. Open Question

Zverev’s defeat does not erase the strongest season of his career.

He finally won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and followed it with a run to the Wimbledon final. The Sports Encounter documented that breakthrough in its report on Zverev’s French Open triumph and the wider Roland Garros story.

Montreal was supposed to begin the next phase.

The U.S. Open begins on August 30, giving Zverev enough time to recover, train and compete again before New York. The problem concerns rhythm rather than panic.

His first match after Wimbledon exposed a player who could not maintain control once the contest became less predictable. Griekspoor changed the pace, found more depth and forced Zverev to solve problems after the initial plan stopped working.

A Grand Slam champion should not be judged by one second-round loss.

The defeat still shows that his transition from grass to hard courts is incomplete.

Van de Zandschulp Leaves His Comfort Zone and Finally Beats Medvedev

Van de Zandschulp had faced Medvedev before without finding the correct solution.

Wednesday demanded something different.

The Dutchman resisted the temptation to settle into long, familiar exchanges against one of the best defensive hard-court players of his generation. He changed pace, attacked from uncomfortable positions and prevented Medvedev from turning the match into a repetitive baseline examination.

The approach produced a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory and his first win over the 2021 U.S. Open champion.

“I had to change it up, go out of my comfort zone and I think I did it well,” Van de Zandschulp said.

The result continued an uneven period for Medvedev, whose history on North American hard courts remains impressive but whose ability to dominate this phase of the season no longer feels automatic.

He still reads the court brilliantly and can frustrate almost any opponent.

Van de Zandschulp showed that tactical variety can prevent the Russian from turning those strengths into control.

Fritz Runs Out of Fuel After Washington Triumph

Fritz entered Montreal carrying a fresh title and the confidence that normally follows it.

His Washington victory over Rafael Jodar had delivered his biggest trophy in nearly four years. The Sports Encounter covered that performance in its report on Taylor Fritz’s Washington Open final victory.

That momentum did not survive his first Montreal match.

Tirante defeated the seventh seed 7-5, 6-3, controlling the key moments without allowing Fritz’s serve and first-strike tennis to settle into a predictable rhythm.

The result illustrates one of the hardest parts of the North American summer.

A player can win a title, travel immediately and begin another major tournament before the emotional and physical impact of the previous week has faded.

Fritz’s defeat does not weaken what he accomplished in Washington. It does show how quickly a successful week can become a burden when the schedule refuses to pause.

Montreal’s Surviving Contenders Suddenly See a Different Tournament

The remaining players will avoid describing the draw as easy.

They will understand what has changed.

De Minaur has become the highest-ranked man still involved. Shelton remains dangerous as defending champion, while Ruud, Musetti, Fils and Mensik offer different versions of established top-level quality.

Younger players such as Fonseca, Jodar and Learner Tien now have a realistic pathway toward a career-defining run.

The Sports Encounter’s National Bank Open draw analysis examined how the absences of Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz had already created space for unfamiliar contenders.

Wednesday widened that space dramatically.

The challenge for the remaining seeds is psychological. An open draw can produce freedom, but it can also create pressure once every player begins seeing an opportunity that seemed impossible 24 hours earlier.

Monfils Says Goodbye to Montreal

Not every significant Montreal story involved a seed.

Gael Monfils played his final National Bank Open match against Learner Tien, losing 6-3, 0-6, 6-3.

The score captured the familiar Monfils experience. He struggled, surged back with a flawless second set and remained dangerous until the final stages.

Tien held firm in the third and earned a meeting with fellow American Tommy Paul.

Afterward, Montreal honored Monfils with a tribute video on Centre Court.

The moment mattered because Monfils’ career has never been measured only through trophies. His movement, imagination and relationship with crowds gave him a place in tennis that rankings could not fully describe.

His final Montreal appearance ended in defeat, but the atmosphere belonged to appreciation rather than disappointment.

Toronto’s Night Session Belonged to Fernandez and Eala

Toronto did not experience the same collapse of leading names.

Its strongest emotional moments came from two players with very different relationships to the crowd.

Fernandez played as the remaining home hope. Eala arrived as the new Washington champion with a rapidly growing international following and a large Filipino community behind her.

Both delivered.

Fernandez defeated Renata Zarazua 6-2, 6-2 with the kind of controlled aggression that home crowds often make difficult. She did not chase emotional shots or allow the occasion to turn every point into a referendum on Canadian tennis.

The victory made her the only Canadian woman to reach the third round.

Eala then closed the evening with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over Alycia Parks, extending her winning run to six matches.

The crowd reacted as though the Filipino was another home player.

Alexandra Eala Keeps Winning After the Biggest Week of Her Career

Winning a first WTA title creates a new problem.

The player must return almost immediately and prove that the emotional high did not consume the energy required for the next tournament.

Eala arrived in Toronto after defeating Jessica Pegula in Washington. Her breakthrough made her the first woman from the Philippines to win a WTA-level singles title and transformed her from an emerging player into one of the most closely watched names of the summer.

The Sports Encounter covered that historic run in its report on Alexandra Eala’s Washington Open championship.

Against Parks, she looked ready to continue.

Eala dominated the first set 6-1 before Parks responded in the second. The American’s power and aggression forced a third set and threatened to expose the physical strain of Eala’s recent schedule.

The Filipino recovered her shape, controlled the deciding set and won it 6-2.

That response may have been more significant than another easy straight-sets victory.

It showed that Eala could absorb a momentum change after the emotional and physical demands of Washington.

Eala’s 2026 Rise Is Becoming a Season, Not a Streak

Eala’s current run did not appear from nowhere.

She had already produced one of Wimbledon’s defining shocks by defeating Iga Swiatek. The Sports Encounter examined how she chose aggression over caution in its report on Eala’s Centre Court victory over Swiatek.

Washington then proved she could survive an entire tournament rather than build her reputation around isolated upsets.

Toronto is now testing whether she can sustain success after the world has adjusted its expectations.

Opponents no longer treat her as an unfamiliar outsider. Crowds expect victories. Draws feel more dangerous because every player wants to stop the latest rising name.

Eala’s win over Parks suggests she is learning to carry that weight.

Fernandez Gives Toronto a Home Story to Follow

Canadian hopes had already narrowed before Fernandez entered Centre Court.

Bianca Andreescu, Katherine Sebov and other home players had exited, while Kayla Cross lost earlier Wednesday.

Fernandez responded with one of the cleanest performances of the day.

Her 6-2, 6-2 victory over Zarazua placed her into a third-round meeting with Mirra Andreeva, one of the most compelling matches of the next phase.

The matchup will test Fernandez in almost every area.

Andreeva brings greater current ranking strength, Grand Slam confidence and the ability to change direction early in rallies. Fernandez will carry the crowd, movement and left-handed patterns that can disrupt the Russian’s preferred rhythm.

Toronto now has the kind of home match capable of defining a tournament session rather than simply filling the schedule.

Kayla Cross Leaves With a Breakthrough, Even After Defeat

Cross could not follow her first WTA main-draw victory with another result.

Ann Li defeated the Canadian 7-6(2), 6-3, stopping Cross after a competitive opening set.

The defeat should not erase the progress made earlier in the tournament.

Cross entered the National Bank Open still searching for her first tour-level main-draw win and earned it under home pressure. The Sports Encounter covered that breakthrough in its National Bank Open Day 3 report.

Li possessed more experience in the decisive moments and controlled the tiebreak, but Cross leaves Toronto with evidence that she can compete at this level.

The next step involves turning one breakthrough into regular access and repeatable results.

Pegula Survives the Kind of Match Champions Cannot Avoid

Jessica Pegula lost the opening set 6-3 to Magdalena Frech and looked vulnerable to another difficult result only days after losing the Washington final.

The American found her timing gradually rather than through one dramatic surge.

She won the second set 6-3, then took control of the deciding set 6-2.

The victory mattered because Pegula has won the National Bank Open twice and understands the expectations created by that history.

She was not required to produce her best tennis in the second round.

She needed to remain in the tournament long enough to find it.

That is what she accomplished.

Caty McNally Turns 5-1 Down Into a Wimbledon Champion’s Exit

Linda Noskova appeared in control of her opening set against McNally.

The Wimbledon champion led 5-1 and seemed ready to settle into her first Toronto appearance since lifting the biggest title of her career.

McNally changed the match completely.

The American won 12 of the next 14 games, took the first-set tiebreak 7-5 and dominated the second set 6-1.

The result was not produced by one collapse alone.

McNally improved her return position, extended rallies and forced Noskova to keep winning points after the Czech had expected the first set to end quickly.

Noskova’s defeat illustrates one of the hidden demands that follows a first Grand Slam title.

The player returns to the tour as a target rather than an outsider. Every opponent enters with a clear plan and nothing to lose.

The Sports Encounter followed Noskova’s grass-court triumph through its wider tennis coverage and Wimbledon analysis. Toronto has now provided the first major setback of her championship aftermath.

Gauff, Rybakina, Andreeva and Osaka Avoid the Montreal-Style Chaos

Several leading women advanced without joining the day’s upset list.

Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva, Naomi Osaka and Iva Jovic all moved into the third round.

Their progress gave Toronto greater stability than Montreal, where major seeds continued disappearing.

Osaka’s presence remains especially important after a summer in which her performances have repeatedly revived questions about how close she is to another major title run. The Sports Encounter examined one of her strongest Grand Slam results in its account of Osaka’s Wimbledon victory over Aryna Sabalenka.

Toronto offers another opportunity to test that progress on a surface that suits her first-strike game.

What Day 5 Changed in the Men’s Draw

What Day 5 Changed in the Women’s Draw

• Eala confirmed that her Washington title has carried into Toronto.
• Fernandez became Canada’s last woman standing in singles.
• Pegula survived a difficult opening test and remains in contention for a third National Bank Open title.
• Noskova’s exit removed the reigning Wimbledon champion.
• Gauff, Rybakina, Andreeva and Osaka preserved the draw’s leading-name depth.
• McNally emerged as a dangerous unseeded player after winning 12 of 14 games against Noskova.

Who Benefited Most From the Day?

Tallon Griekspoor

Griekspoor needed proof that his recent practice form could survive match pressure. Defeating Zverev provided it immediately.

Botic van de Zandschulp

His first victory over Medvedev rewarded tactical courage and gave the Dutch men a remarkable double success.

Alex de Minaur

Without playing in the night’s headline match, De Minaur became the highest-ranked player remaining in Montreal.

Alexandra Eala

Eala absorbed a second-set response, handled a sold-out crowd’s expectations and extended the best run of her career.

Leylah Fernandez

Fernandez became Toronto’s remaining Canadian singles hope and earned a high-profile third-round match against Andreeva.

Who Leaves With the Biggest Questions?

Alexander Zverev

His Grand Slam season remains outstanding, but Montreal provided little hard-court rhythm before the U.S. Open.

Daniil Medvedev

North American hard courts were once his most reliable territory. That advantage no longer feels secure.

Taylor Fritz

The Washington title proved his level. The Montreal defeat raises a workload question rather than a crisis of form.

Linda Noskova

Her first major tournament after becoming Wimbledon champion ended after she surrendered a commanding first-set lead.

Felix Auger-Aliassime

The Canadian’s back injury removed him before he could begin, creating uncertainty about his U.S. Open preparation.

What Comes Next at the National Bank Open

Montreal’s third round will test whether the upset winners can turn one major victory into a genuine tournament run.

Griekspoor and Van de Zandschulp have already changed the draw. Their next challenge is avoiding the emotional drop that often follows a career-level win.

Shelton begins to carry greater responsibility as the defending champion, while De Minaur must handle the pressure attached to becoming the highest-ranked survivor.

Toronto’s next phase offers several compelling matches.

Fernandez against Andreeva brings home support into direct conflict with one of the tour’s leading young champions. Eala will attempt to extend a winning run that has already crossed two cities, while Pegula, Gauff, Rybakina and Osaka continue building toward the U.S. Open.

Official draws, schedules and results are available through the National Bank Open website.

Final Verdict

Day 5 did more than remove several famous names.

It changed the emotional direction of both tournaments.

Montreal began the day with Zverev positioned as the obvious favorite and Medvedev and Fritz available as proven alternatives. It ended with all three gone, Auger-Aliassime injured and De Minaur unexpectedly standing as the highest-ranked man left.

The Dutch victories were built differently.

Griekspoor survived the loss of the opening set and rediscovered belief after months of poor results. Van de Zandschulp defeated Medvedev by stepping outside the patterns that had failed him in previous meetings.

Tirante then completed the seed exodus by denying Fritz the chance to build immediately on his Washington title.

Toronto offered a more stable but equally meaningful story.

Eala proved that the biggest week of her career had not exhausted her. Fernandez gave the home crowd a third-round player to follow. Pegula recovered, McNally shocked the Wimbledon champion and several leading contenders moved forward.

The National Bank Open now has two distinct identities.

Montreal belongs to anyone brave enough to seize the opening.

Toronto still belongs to the stars, but Eala and Fernandez have given the crowd two emotionally powerful reasons to watch what happens next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who defeated Alexander Zverev at the 2026 National Bank Open?

Tallon Griekspoor defeated Zverev 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 in the Montreal second round.

Who beat Daniil Medvedev in Montreal?

Botic van de Zandschulp defeated Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(5), earning his first victory over the former U.S. Open champion.

What happened to Taylor Fritz?

Fritz lost 7-5, 6-3 to Thiago Agustin Tirante shortly after winning the Washington Open title.

How many top-10 men’s seeds remain?

Only four of the original top 10 seeds remained in the Montreal draw after Wednesday’s results and withdrawals.

Why did Felix Auger-Aliassime withdraw?

The Canadian withdrew before his opening match because of a back injury.

Did Alexandra Eala win in Toronto?

Yes. Eala defeated Alycia Parks 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to extend her winning streak to six matches.

Is Leylah Fernandez still playing?

Yes. Fernandez defeated Renata Zarazua 6-2, 6-2 and became the only Canadian woman to reach the third round.

Who eliminated Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova?

Caty McNally defeated Noskova 7-6(5), 6-1 after the Czech had led the first set 5-1.

Did Jessica Pegula advance?

Yes. Pegula recovered from losing the first set to defeat Magdalena Frech 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Where can readers follow more tennis coverage?

Visit The Sports Encounter’s Tennis Hub for tournament reports, player analysis, Grand Slam coverage and the latest hard-court storylines.