This year’s Toronto Open presents a unique opportunity for players lower down the rankings to make their mark.
Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper have pulled out of the competition, while Marca has also reported that Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the competition.
Therefore, an out-of-form Alexander Zverev and big-hitting Taylor Fritz represent the biggest competition for the rest of the field in Toronto.
In recent years, the tournament – which has switched from Montreal to Toronto – has sprung some less-than-likely winners in the last few years. Alexei Popyrin is the defending champion while Pablo Carreno Busta won the title in 2022.
The reduced competition in 2025 could foreshadow further surprises, and one of these players could cause an upset and potentially win the most important title of their career so far.
Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton’s excellence on the Grand Slam stage is well recognised. After all, he has reached the semi-final stage at both the US Open and Australian, while also reaching the quarter-final at Wimbledon 2025.
However, the big-serving American has struggled to reach finals during his career. He has only won two ATP Tour titles in his career: the 2023 Tokyo Open and 2024 Houston Open.
For a player of his innate ability, these figures are surprising. With his prolific play on hard courts and the absence of many top seeds, Shelton has a perfect opportunity to clinch his first ATP Masters 1000 title.
Shelton will likely receive a promising draw in Toronto. Now seeded eighth in the world, the American will likely be the fourth seed behind Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti. However, these standings may change after the Washington Open.
Flavio Cobolli
At number 18 in the world, few would expect Flavio Cobolli to be a contender at the Toronto Open.
However, the young Italian put the world on notice at Wimbledon, bludgeoning his way to the quarter-finals before losing to his idol, Novak Djokovic.
The 23-year-old has all the tools needed to make a deep run at the Toronto Open, including powerful groundstrokes and excellent footspeed across the court.
Cobolli, who was born in Florence, Italy, has been on a roll in 2025, winning the first two ATP Tour titles of his career in Hamburg and Bucharest.
Only a brave person would bet against Cobolli heading into the Toronto Open.
Alex de Minaur
After reaching the final of the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals, Alex de Minaur was tipped for big things in his professional tennis career.
The Australian has certainly proved to be a force on the tour, winning nine titles since 2019 and reaching the quarter-final stage of all four Grand Slams.
However, the ‘demon’ is yet to capture a top-tier title, and the Toronto Open could be his moment to pounce.
Ranked 13 in the world, the Australian star could greatly improve his chances of qualifying for the ATP Tour Finals in Turin. He currently sits in 10th position and needs to move up to at least eighth to qualify.
Joao Fonseca is the dark horse at the Toronto Open
Aged just 18 years, Joao Fonseca has burst onto the scene in the last year, becoming one of the hottest prospects on tour.
Fonseca’s future stardom has been well recognised, with Carlos Alcaraz tipping the Brazilian to become one of the best players on the ATP Tour. Alcaraz made these comments after Fonseca stunned Andrey Rublev in straight sets to win his first Grand Slam match at the 2025 Australian Open.
The Brazilian most recently reached the third round at Wimbledon before losing to Nicolas Jarry. Despite the loss, Fonseca showed the SW19 crowd the potential that could be realised in the future.
With the draw already wide open, the Toronto Open could prove to be a particularly special tournament in Joao Fonseca’s career.
