Former UVa tennis star Brandon Nakashima red-hot to face Arlingtons Denis Kudla at Citi Open

Brandon Nakashima has been red-hot in his last three tennis tournaments. He’s made back-to-back finals appearances and he’s won his first two matches at the Citi Open.

Nakashima made the finals in Atlanta last week, falling to Jon Isner, and lost to Cameron Norrie on the final day after cruising to the title match in Los Cabos, Mexico, the week before. 

This week it’s been no different for the 20-year-old. He has won both of his matches in the District in straight sets, including a 7-6, 6-0 win over Daniel Evans on Wednesday.

“Having all this confidence from playing all these matches, going deep in tournaments has been good for me,” Nakashima said. “I’m sure every player would want to have this feeling right now of playing well and winning all these matches.”

Nakashima entered the week with the highest world ranking of his career at No. 89, moving up 26 spots after his Atlanta performance.  

“I think he‘s got obviously a very big future,” Evans said. “He seems very calm and levelheaded, which is a good thing. … He put me away pretty convincingly in the end.”

Nakashima, a former University of Virginia tennis star, turned pro after one year in Charlottesville, but he didn’t leave before making a splash. In 2019, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-ACC after a 17-5 season in singles.

Though Nakashima was only a Cavalier for one year, he said he learned some things on and off the court while playing collegiately that he uses now as a professional.

“In college tennis, there’s a lot of pressure points, there’s a lot of other things going on in the crowd and everything,” Nakashima said.  â€œI think that has helped me get through some of these matches as well, just the mental aspect of it, especially during these crucial points and these big matches on the pro tour.”

He also noted that moving from San Diego to Charlottesville helped him prepare for the time spent away from home while he’s on tour. 

In the Citi Open, he has looked like he’s at home, cruising into Thursday’s Round of 16, where he will face Arlington native Denis Kudla. 

The two haven’t played each other in competition yet, but Kudla also has been on a tear this week. He won his second-round match against Taylor Fritz in straight sets Wednesday after a three-set victory over Feliciano Lopez on Tuesday.

It’s only the second time in his career that Kudla has advanced past the first round at the Citi Open. The last time he did, in 2018, he made it to the quarterfinals. 

“Getting this win is definitely giving me a lot of confidence, getting past that first round at home,” Kudla said Tuesday. “I feel like I can free swing now, and I’m excited for whatever else is to come.”

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