American third seed Taylor Fritz triumphed over compatriot Brandon Nakashima with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Washington Open in Washington DC. Fritz, ranked world number 10, advanced to the 23rd ATP final of his career by delivering 13 aces and 24 winners while committing 16 unforced errors, compared to Nakashima's 27.

Fritz took control early in the opening set, moving ahead 4-3 before securing the decisive break. Nakashima, aiming for his first ATP 500 final, responded strongly in the second set by breaking Fritz to lead 3-1, holding serve to extend the lead to 5-2, and eventually winning the set to force a decider.

In the third set, Fritz regained momentum by breaking in the second game and holding serve to establish a 3-0 advantage. He maintained pressure to seal the victory and secure his place in the final, where he will face Spain's Rafael Jodar.

Reflecting on the match, Fritz said, "Grabbing that break in the third set made the difference." He also noted the close nature of the contest: "It was really a narrow margin the whole time. Not a lot of chances either way."

Later on the same day, Rafael Jodar came from a set down to defeat Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4. Jodar, who was ranked outside the top 100 earlier in the season, has risen significantly in the rankings following an impressive clay season, which included his first ATP title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco.

Sources