Brandon Nakashima finished runner-up at the Canadian Open and then admitted he preferred Montreal over Toronto, joking that fans in Toronto “are going to hate me” next year. The world No. 22 reached the biggest final of his career in Montreal this week, losing to defending champion Ben Shelton in Thursday’s final.
Speech causes a stir
During his post-match speech, Nakashima thanked the Montreal crowd and claimed they were better than their counterparts in Ontario. “I’m going to be honest, I really, really enjoy it here in Montreal, more than Toronto,” the American told the crowd. Shelton could only cover his face and laugh, knowing that his countryman may have caused a stir more than 300 miles away in Toronto.
The Montreal fans erupted into applause and chants of ‘ole’. Both Nakashima and Shelton gave the crowd a standing ovation. The runner-up continued: “I’m not just saying that sitting here in the final today. Even before this week, I really enjoy my time here.” He added another dig at the Toronto venue: “Unfortunately, we’ll be back in Toronto next year! But I really look forward to coming back here in two years.”
Shelton’s response
The world No. 10 then stepped up to the microphone and told his rival: “I want to congratulate Brandon. First of all, hell of a speech!” Shelton, now a two-time Canadian Open champion, having lifted the trophy in both cities, also referenced Nakashima’s antics. “It’s crazy that we were here a year ago… Well, I guess in Toronto. I’m not going to say anything bad about Toronto, I love Toronto too.” The Montreal fans jokingly booed, so the winner quickly added: “But Montreal just as much!”
Nakashima’s fears and reflection
While Nakashima’s comments went down well in Montreal, he knows it might not be smooth sailing when he arrives in Toronto in 12 months’ time. “Honestly, I didn't know that there was that much of a rivalry. They're probably going to hate me in Toronto next year,” he joked. “But, no, I mean, overall I really enjoy playing in Canada. It's so close to home in the US, and especially here in Montreal, the fans are amazing. The people are super friendly, and this tournament is overall really well organised and really welcoming for all the players.”
Until now, Nakashima had never reached a final above ATP 250 level, but he’s now a Masters 1000 runner-up. He said: “It's definitely a big milestone for me in my career. It's definitely one that I've dreamed about since I started playing is to do well at these big events. So obviously, I still have a lot of things to work on and improve, but it's a good step in the right direction. And I definitely take a lot of positives away from this week to help motivate me and hopefully one day lift the trophy.”
Nakashima’s fears of backlash in Toronto may have already been realised. The official tournament account for the Toronto arm of the Canadian Open saw a video of his speech and commented: “Ouch.”
