Montreal 2026 Final Four Pro Gear: Jodar, Tien, Shelton & Nakashima

Montreal’s 2026 men’s final four is also one of the most interesting gear lineups of the week: Ben Shelton, Learner Tien and Brandon Nakashima represent the United States, while Rafael Jodar is the lone Spaniard.

The commercial names painted on their frames tell only part of the story. Below, we separate the visible/endorsed model from the most consistently reported tour mold, string setup and measured or tournament-reported specs.

Ranking references below use the live ATP positions before the semifinals on 12 August 2026.

Montreal 2026 final four: quick gear table

Player	Country	Live ATP	Commercial model / paint	Reported tour mold*	Strings*
Ben Shelton	USA	#10	Yonex EZONE 98	2022 EZONE 98 mold*	Recent Montreal sighting: Yonex POLYTOUR REV / POLYTOUR PRO*
Rafael Jodar	Spain	#11	HEAD Speed MP	HEAD TGT/PT 339.2*	HEAD Lynx Tour*
Learner Tien	USA	#12	Wilson Ultra line / Ultra V5 cosmetic	Wilson Ultra 98 16×19 Pro Stock*	Luxilon ALU Power Rough 1.30 / 1.25*
Brandon Nakashima	USA	#25 live	Yonex VCORE 98	2023 VCORE 98 mold*	Babolat RPM Blast / Natural Gut*

Rafael Jodar — HEAD Speed MP / 339 family

Jodar is publicly associated with the HEAD Speed MP family. Specialist gear reporting consistently places his underlying pro-stock frame in the TGT/PT 339 family; the more specific 339.2 designation remains a reported tour detail rather than an official HEAD confirmation.

His current string setup is most consistently reported as a full bed of HEAD Lynx Tour. Reported player-frame measurements circulating in specialist gear channels place a matched frame around 320 g strung with swingweight around 335, but those figures should be treated as reported measurements rather than manufacturer-published specs.

Learner Tien — unreleased Wilson Ultra 98 Pro Stock

Tien’s blue Wilson paint is the easy part. The frame underneath is much more interesting. Specialist reporting and examples of player-issued frames point to a Wilson Ultra / Pro Stock 98 with a 16×19 pattern, a configuration that is not the same as the standard retail Ultra 100.

At Houston in 2026, the tournament stringing sheet recorded Luxilon ALU Power Rough 1.30 in one direction and 1.25 in the other at 54 lb. Uncustomized examples of Tien-associated Ultra 98 pro-stock frames have been reported around 300 g before final matching/customization. His final match-ready static weight is not publicly verified.

Ben Shelton — EZONE 98, with a string setup worth watching

Shelton is officially listed by Yonex with the EZONE 98, a 98 sq in, 16×19 platform. The reported underlying frame is commonly associated with the 2022-generation EZONE 98 mold*, although Yonex does not officially publish his mold or matched tour specifications.

The string story is currently more fluid. Yonex’s official 2026 material has listed combinations including POLYTOUR FORCE / POLYTOUR PRO, while June tournament stringing data still showed POLYTOUR STRIKE / POLYTOUR PRO. In Montreal, the latest visual/report being tracked is a possible switch to POLYTOUR REV / POLYTOUR PRO*. That recent change is worth treating as a reported sighting until it is independently confirmed by a current stringing sheet or Yonex.

The retail EZONE 98 base specification is 305 g unstrung. Shelton’s exact 2026 matched playing weight is not publicly verified.

Brandon Nakashima — VCORE 98 / reported 2023 mold

Yonex currently lists Nakashima with the VCORE 98. He committed to the VCORE after testing Yonex frames following his 2023 switch, which makes the 2023-generation VCORE 98 mold* the strongest current working identification for the frame underneath the latest cosmetic, but it is not an official Yonex mold confirmation.

Houston 2026 stringing data recorded a Babolat RPM / natural-gut hybrid at 52 / 54 lb. The strongest public evidence supports RPM Blast plus natural gut; the exact gut product and direction can vary by reporting source, so we keep the public-facing description conservative.

The retail VCORE 98 base is 305 g unstrung, 98 sq in and 16×19. Nakashima’s exact current match-ready static weight is not publicly verified.

What the asterisk means

* Reported tour detail — not an official manufacturer confirmation. Asterisked molds, matched specs and recent string changes represent the most consistently reported or verifiable information available from tournament stringing sheets, specialist gear sources, player-frame reports and current visual evidence as of 12 August 2026. Professional setups can change between tournaments, surfaces and conditions.

Why this final four is a gear story too

Three Americans reached the Montreal semifinals, but the four setups are far from identical: a HEAD 339-family pro stock, an unreleased Wilson Ultra 98 configuration, and two different Yonex 98 platforms with very different string philosophies.

That is exactly why a pro’s paintjob should never be treated as the entire setup. The commercial model gives you the family. The mold, matching, string bed and tournament-specific tension tell the rest of the story.

Which setup should Tennis Rackets Europe break down next?