American tennis player Brandon Nakashima made it to No. 43 in the world rankings in October, 2022 – a phenomenal achievement for a 22-year-old. So, what has led to his successes so far and what might we expect from the future? In this article, we’ll explore Nakashima’s career to date.
Who is Brandon Nakashima?
Before we delve into the career of Brandon Nakashima (and give you an idea on whether it’s worth wagering on him in your online sports betting!), let’s look at Nakashima’s childhood and what brought him to play tennis.
Nakashima is of mixed heritage. His father, Wesley, was born in California and is a Japanese American. His mother is Vietnamese and moved to California at the age of five. Both of his parents are pharmacists. Brandon Nakashima was born in San Diego on August 3, 2001. His maternal grandfather introduced him to tennis at the age of three.
The junior career of Brandon Nakashima
In 2018, Nakashima ranked as No. 3 junior player in the world, and he also won titles for the ITF Junior Masters and the International Tennis Federation junior circuit.
Nakashima went to High Bluff Academy in Rancho Santa Fe before enrolling at the University of Virginia, where he played collegiate tennis. He chose, however, to stop playing collegiate tennis after his first year there and decided to turn to professional tennis.
His professional career begins
In 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Nakashima received a wildcard entry into his first ATP main draw event, the Delray Beach Open. He managed to reach the quarterfinals before he was beaten by Yoshihito Nishioka.
He then took part in the US Open that year. This was his Grand Slam main draw debut, and he was also a wildcard. He managed to defeat Paolo Lorenzi but was beaten by Alexander Zverev, the fifth seed and runner-up.
In 2021, Brandon Nakashima qualified in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time and played at Wimbledon. He lost the first round to Taylor Fritz, the 31st seed.
He managed to reach a final in Los Cabos but lost to Cameron Norrie, the first seed. He was just 19 at the time and became the youngest American player to reach an ATP final since Taylor Fritz, aged 18, was in the final of the 2016 Memphis Open.
A week after this, he managed to make his second final in Atlanta. Again, he lost – this time to John Isner, the sixth seed. However, his good run meant he entered the top 100 players for the first time. He came in at No. 89 the day before he turned 20, in August 2021.
In the 2021 European Open, Nakashima reached the quarterfinals. He lost to Argentine player Diego Schwartzman but succeeded in ranking 70th in the world.
He also managed to qualify for the Next Generation ATP Finals in 2021 and was the fourth seed. He lost his semifinal, but his excellent performance meant he ranked No. 62. Nakashima’s success also meant he received a nomination for ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2021.
2022: Nakashima’s career develops
The 2022 French Open saw Brandon Nakashima reach a Grand Slam third round for the first time. However, he lost to Alexander Zverev, the third seed. He also managed to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon that year. He defeated Daniel Elahi Galán but lost to Nick Kyrgios, the runner-up. By July 11, he was ranked No. 49 in the world.
In the San Diego Open, his home tournament, he reached his third final of the ATP by defeating Christopher O’Connell. He went on to defeat Marcos Giron to earn his first title. He then also won the Next Generation ATP Final and did so undefeated.
2023: A downward turn
After such a successful year in 2022, September 25, 2023 saw Brandon Nakashima exit the top 100. This was despite competing in the second round at Citi Open and the third round at Winston-Salem.
He debuted at the Masters in Shanghai and reached the third round there by defeating Holger Rune, the third seed and world No. 4. However, he still managed to fall outside of the top 150 on October 30, 2023.
Final thoughts: what will 2024 hold for Nakashima?
With the ATP Tour Calendar announced for 2024, what can we expect from Brandon Nakashima? Will he return to his 2022 form or continue his downward spiral of 2023? Only time will tell!
