Brandon Nakashima has made the jump to light speed in the summer of 2026. The American, always recognized for his powerful, streamlined game more than his ability to deliver meaningful results with it, has changed the narrative and emerged as a tour de force in the last two months.
The San Diego native continued his rise on Friday with a hard-fought 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 victory over Taylor Fritz at the Cincinnati Open. The victory, which was his fourth Top 10 triumph of the summer, makes Nakashima the first American man to reach the semifinals at the Canadian and Cincinnati Masters in the same year since 2011.
“It’s been a lot these last few weeks,” he said. “A lot of emotions, a lot of hours on the court. In the end I’m super happy with my level and just really proud of myself.”
Nakashima, up to a career-high No.16 in the ATP rankings, will face either Frances Tiafoe or Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
Serene serving from both highlighted Friday’s Cincinnati quarter-final between the two, the pair’s sixth head-to-head meeting functioning as a serving clinic for both through the first 45 minutes.
Nakashima drilled an ace down the T on break point in the very first break point of the match, and it would be the end of the opportunities for a while.
At 5-6, 30-all Nakashima reared back and fired his fifth ace, snuffing out all hopes of a break in the set. Fritz and Nakashima had only played one tiebreaker in the previous 14 sets that they played, but that was going to change on Friday.
The first-set tiebreak was nothing like the first 12 games. Both players lost multiple points on serve, a 32-stroke rally was played at 4-all (won by Nakashima), and Nakashima finally got over the line, converting his fifth set point.
25-year-old Nakashima will enter the Top 20 on Monday for the first time, and he’s playing like he belongs there. Serving with brutal force and pinpoint accuracy, and playing points with a clarity and confidence that has always been a part of his game, but not enough a part of it during the bigger moments.
Since this summer, when he hired Wayne Ferreira as his coach, something has clicked in his psyche. The intangibles suddenly seem to favor Nakashima, who saved three match points against Daniil Medvedev in the third round like he was taking candy from a baby.
The American has won 16 of 20 matches and notched four Top 10 wins all since hiring Ferreira, starting with his run to the semis on the London grass.
Even when he’s down, he seems to find a way to end up on top.
Nakashima had momentum at the start of the second set but it quickly dissipated as Fritz never relented on serve and scored a break for 2-1 that proved to be more than enough to get him to a third set.
Fritz lost the opening point of a service game at 4-3, then lost the next point, but still easily escaped, and claimed the set without more trouble.
The World No.9 looked to be headed to a comeback win when he scored the first break of the final set for 3-2, but he let his level slip and was broken right back. Wild, that Fritz ended up getting broken in the final two games of a match that featured some of the finest serving he has ever executed (particularly in the first set).
It’s also a sign that Nakashima is learning how to come away with wins in matches even when he’s outgunned at times. His ability to compartmentalize the disappointment of surrendering the break in the third and stay on task was what eventually led to another massive victory.
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