ATP ATP Montreal 2026

The draw for the qualifying round of the Canada Masters 1000 features genuine blockbuster matches

Andrés Tomás Rico - 1 Aug 2026
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The preliminary round draw of the Canada Masters 1000 features some thrilling matches. Photo: Getty Images

It may look like a draw from an ATP 250, or even an ATP 500, but this is the preliminary round of the Masters 1000 in Canada, which is being held in Montreal this year. This ‘Qualy’ could lead to some exciting matches just before entering the main draw, as well as the loss of some big names. Among them are: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexei Popyrin, Kei Nishikori, Jaime Faria, and Aleksandar Vukic.

The Greek is the number one seed and while he still doesn't know his opponent for his debut in the ‘Qualy’, he could face Jaime Faria, the number two seed, in the second match, which grants passage to the tournament’s main draw. Faria is currently at the best moment of his career as the world number 78.

Pablo Llamas will be the only Spaniard to appear in the preliminary round of the Masters 1000 in Canada 2026

Another great matchup in the first round will be that of Alexei Popyrin, who lifted the title in Canada two years ago, against Thanasi Kokkinakis. A match between two talented tennis players who have been severely frustrated by injuries and expectations. Kei Nishikori also appears, having received a wildcard for the preliminary round, and he will play against Michael Zheng.

In terms of Spain, the name of Pablo Llamas stands out. In fact, he is the number 23 seed, but he will have a demanding debut against a great hard-court player like Marcos Giron, the third seed. However, if he wins, he would have a good chance of entering the final draw, as his second opponent would come from the match between Aleksander Shevchenko and Kyrian Jacquet. Also noteworthy are the matches between Sebastian Ofner and Jacob Fearnley, Sho Shimabukuro and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, or Aleksandar Vukic and Tomás Barrios Vera.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El cuadro de la fase previa del Masters 1000 de Canadá deja auténticos partidazos