ATP Montreal 2024: How Alexei Popyrin’s Unforgettable Canadian Open Run Reshaped Hard-Court Tennis

The 2024 ATP Montreal edition—officially the National Bank Open presented by Rogers—delivered one of the most stunning underdog triumphs in recent Masters 1000 history. Unseeded Australian Alexei Popyrin shocked the tennis world by storming through a stacked draw at IGA Stadium to capture his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown, defeating World No. 6 Andrey Rublev in a blistering straight-sets final.

Popyrin’s Giant-Killing Run Through IGA Stadium

The ATP Montreal 2024 main draw was packed with drama from the opening round, exacerbated by heavy rain delays and scheduling crunches. Popyrin, who entered the week ranked World No. 62, faced one of the toughest routes to a Masters 1000 title in memory, defeating five top-20 opponents along the way.

Before dismantling Rublev in the final, Popyrin saved match points against Grigor Dimitrov and notched crucial victories over Ben Shelton and Hubert Hurkacz. His power-baseline game and unshakeable serve proved unbreakable on Montreal's fast hard courts, making him the first Australian to lift the Canadian Open trophy since Patrick Rafter in 1998.

• Top-10 Scalps: Defeated World No. 6 Andrey Rublev, World No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov, and World No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz.
• Clutch Performance: Saved two match points in a dramatic round-of-16 battle against Dimitrov.
• Ranking Surge: Jumped from No. 62 to a career-high World No. 23 immediately following his title run.

Prize Money, Ranking Points, and Hard-Court Championship Stakes

The ATP Montreal 2024 tournament served as a crucial warm-up for the US Open, providing maximum incentives for players attempting to lock in Grand Slam seeding. With 1,000 ATP Rankings points on the line, the tournament shifted the landscape of the late-summer North American hard-court swing.

Financially and strategically, Montreal offered one of the largest prize pools on the men's tour that season. The champions' share and point allocations created massive mobility in the ATP Rankings heading into Flushing Meadows.

• Winner Payout: Alexei Popyrin earned over $1.04 million USD alongside 1,000 ATP points.
• Runner-Up Allocation: Andrey Rublev secured $573,090 USD and 650 ATP points.
• Semifinalists: Sebastian Korda and Matteo Arnaldi each collected 400 ATP points and $313,395 USD.

The Canadian Masters Legacy and Future Evolution

Looking back from 2026, the 2024 National Bank Open in Montreal marked a pivotal moment for the Canadian Masters 1000 event. The alternating structure between Montreal (hosting men in even years) and Toronto (hosting men in odd years) continues to be a cornerstone of the summer swing, with both venues continually expanding facilities and fan capacity.

Popyrin's 2024 breakthrough signaled a new era of unpredictable, high-variance Masters 1000 tournaments where lower-ranked players could capitalise on condensed schedules and summer heat. As the tour progresses through the 2026 season, Montreal’s 2024 triumph remains a blueprint for aggressive hard-court play and mental resilience on the road to the US Open.