At 25, Southern California native Brandon Nakashima can now count himself among the ranks of the tour’s tried-and-true veterans. Some players say the term makes them feel old, but Nakashima? He doesn’t seem to mind.
“I've been on the tour for five, six years now,” he said in Montreal this week, where he broke through to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final. “So I definitely have a lot of experience.”
Experience is currency on tour, and Nakashima’s is starting to pay off.
Seven years after turning pro—and five after cracking the Top 100 for the first time—Nakashima is in the midst of his best season yet. The San Diegan always had the tools. The lethal serve and the slingshot forehand that flies through the court like a laser. Consistency and confidence were harder to come by.
New coach, new vibe
In 2026, with highly regarded coach Wayne Ferreira in his corner since June, everything seems to be crystallizing at an accelerated rate.
Since pairing up with the South African, a former world No. 6 who guided Frances Tiafoe to the Top 10 during their highly productive partnership, Nakashima has won 12 of 16 matches, reached his first Masters 1000 final and gone 7-2 against players ranked inside the Top 30, all in a two-month period of torrid tennis that has put him on the brink of a Top 20 debut.
Nakashima’s eye-catching run in Montreal, where he was defeated by Ben Shelton in Thursday’s all-American final, is a sign that his moment to make a push into the upper echelon of the men’s game is coming.
“It's definitely a big milestone for me in my career,” Nakashima said. “One that I've dreamed about since I started playing, to do well at these big events. I still have a lot of things to work on and improve, but it's a good step in the right direction.”
High praise from Shelton
Shelton had nothing but praise for Nakashima’s blossoming game after their clash, which was the tournament’s first all-American final in 31 years (Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras played the last one).
“He's a great player,” Shelton said earlier in the week, listing off his rival’s strengths. “His game has gotten better and better each year. His forehand has turned into a huge weapon. His serve has always been a massive weapon.
“He's got a great, world-class backhand, one of the best in the world, and he can play all-court tennis. He's a force to be reckoned with on every surface.”
A few points, a big difference
In interviews, Ferreira has stressed that he doesn’t want to drastically overhaul Nakashima’s game. He believes that helping him better deploy his weapons and gain more clarity in his tactics will make all the difference. First and foremost, he wants to make Nakashima’s forehand more stable through contact.
“We really focused on the forehand and on the serve, just some little technical things here and there,” Nakashima said in Montreal. “I think the biggest thing is trusting my game in those critical points. The confidence to go after my shots in those moments.”
There was a time when Nakashima had difficulty making his talent go to work for him. These days, with years of valuable experience under his belt, it’s all coming together.
