Britain's Cameron Norrie saw his run at the National Bank Open come to an abrupt end in the round of 16, bowing out after a 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) loss to France's rising star Arthur Fils in Montreal. The 18th seed from France imposed his will from the outset, wielding a powerful serve that allowed him to cruise through the opening set with little resistance. Norrie, however, found a second‑wind in the following set, matching Fils' aggression and pushing the contest into a tightly contested tiebreak. Despite carving out two opportunities to close the set, Norrie could not capitalise when it mattered most, and Fils ultimately clinched the match after a grueling 1 hour and 43 minutes of play.
Norrie's journey to this point had been noteworthy. In the previous round he produced a stunning upset over third‑seeded Alex de Minaur.
After trailing and facing match point, Norrie surged back, winning 11 of the next 13 games to secure a 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 triumph. That victory not only propelled him into the last‑16 but also reinstated him as Britain’s No.1 player, overtaking Arthur Fery. Unfortunately, he could not sustain that momentum against the in‑form French teenager.
With this win, Arthur Fils will advance to the quarter‑finals where he is slated to meet Spain's Rafael Jodar, who himself pulled off an upset by defeating the eighth seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. The tournament also saw other notable performances: Brandon Nakashima and Luciano Darderi both survived tough three‑set battles to move forward, beating Arthur Rinderknech and Nuno Borges respectively.
In the women's draw, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka experienced a surprising setback in her preparation for the US Open. The Belarusian, a four‑time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open title‑holder, was edged out 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 by Russia's 16th‑seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto.
Alexandrova fought a fierce, nearly two‑and‑a‑half‑hour contest to secure her place in the quarter‑finals. Sabalenka, after dropping the first set, rallied to take the second and force a deciding set, but Alexandrova’s relentless aggression and precise shot‑making proved decisive in the final stretch. The match unfolded with Sabalenka breaking early in the opening set, only for Alexandrova to recover and force a tiebreak, which she won to take the lead. In the second set, Sabalenka turned the tables, breaking for a 4-3 advantage and eventually serving out to level the encounter.
The third set was a battle of nerves; Sabalenka’s error count climbed as Alexandrova held her composure, saving two match points at 4-5 before a double fault on the third point handed the Russian the victory. After the match, Alexandrova explained her mindset: "I tried to treat every point as if it were the last one because against her you don’t get many chances," she said. "I didn’t focus on the score, just hit the ball.
I’m thrilled to have won – after the second set I thought my chances were gone." Alexandrova’s next challenge will be against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who dispatched the American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 to book her semi‑final berth. Meanwhile, the ATP and WTA tours, along with the upcoming US Open, will continue to be broadcast live from August 30 on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app.
Overall, the Canadian Open delivered its share of drama: a British favorite eliminated by a teenage French contender, and the world’s top woman player forced into an early exit by a determined Russian opponent. These results set the stage for an exciting second half of the summer swing, as players regroup and adjust their strategies ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.