The first quarter-finalists were confirmed on day seven in Montreal as the bottom half of the draw reached its conclusion.
Rafael Jódar continued his breakthrough season with another composed victory, Arthur Fils survived a stern test from Cameron Norrie, and Luciano Darderi and Brandon Nakashima both battled through three-set encounters to complete the last eight.
With so many of the tournament favourites already eliminated, most players left in the draw are in uncharted territory as they chase the biggest result of their careers.
Here’s a look at the key matches and standout performances from day seven at the National Bank Open.
Day Seven National Open 2026 Round of 16 Results
Key Match Recap
Rafael Jódar def. Jiří Lehečka 6-3, 6-3
Rafael Jódar’s epic summer continued as the 19-year-old produced another polished display beyond his years to dismiss eighth seed Jiří Lehečka and reach the quarter-finals.
Having already beaten Lorenzo Musetti for the second time in a week, Jódar backed it up with one of his cleanest performances of the tournament. He controlled the baseline exchanges throughout, repeatedly exposing Lehečka’s backhand while serving superbly under pressure, winning 86% of his first-serve points.
He’s now reached seven quarter-finals in his last eight tournaments and looks like one of the favourites for the title.
Jodar wasn’t even on my radar prior to the clay swing this year, but he looks comfortable on all surfaces with his non-typical game style for a Spaniard.
He does, however, possess one Spanish trait that Nadal in particular had: mental maturity for his age.
When Rafa burst on the scene, his maturity on court was far greater than other players of similar age, and when you compare Jodar to someone like Fonseca, he’s far steadier.
Arthur Fils def. Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-6(8)
Arthur Fils survived a late fightback from Cameron Norrie to continue his impressive Masters 1000 season.
The Frenchman dominated the opening set with his trademark power and athleticism, but Norrie is a grafter and gradually dragged himself into the contest, saving three match points while serving at 5-6 in the second set.
The Brit even recovered from 2-5 down in the tie-break to earn two set points, but Fils stayed composed, saving both before finally converting his sixth match point.
Luciano Darderi def. Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Luciano Darderi is one of the lesser-known Italians, but he’s had some top-tier results this season, including here, fighting back from a set down to eliminate Nuno Borges in another high-quality three-set battle.
Borges made the stronger start and looked on course to continue his impressive record in Montreal, but Darderi gradually imposed himself with heavier groundstrokes and greater consistency from the baseline.
The deciding set remained on serve until late, when the Italian struck at exactly the right moment to seal victory and book his tenth quarter-final of the season, the most of any player on tour in 2026.
Brandon Nakashima def. Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-5
Brandon Nakashima reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final after edging Arthur Rinderknech in a contest interrupted by rain.
The pair were locked at 4-4 in the deciding set when play was suspended for almost two hours.
After the delay, Nakashima settled more quickly, staying composed in the biggest moments to edge over the line.
It was a significant breakthrough for the American, who had previously lost all five of his Round of 16 matches at Masters 1000 level.
I’ve long pitched Nakashima as someone who could be around that Top 15 ranking mark as he’s super steady and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won this event given how the draw has fallen apart.
Highlights
National Bank Open 2026 Day 8 Round of 16 Matches
- Tallon Griekspoor vs Daniel Mérida Aguilar
- (12) Learner Tien vs Thiago Agustín Tirante
- (22) João Fonseca vs (5) Ben Shelton
- Botic van de Zandschulp vs (13) Jakub Menšík
