Nakashima grows older: "I no longer feel like one of the young players on the circuit"

Seeing how the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 in Montreal had shaped up, no name reaching the semifinals would surprise us. And the first one was Brandon Nakashima, someone who had never gotten this far in such tournaments.

This afternoon, we saw him showcase his most dominant version against Luciano Darderi, who, despite significantly improving his performance in hard court tournaments, had to face a specialist in this area today. With the victory in hand and emotions settled, the American spoke in the press room about the journey he has taken to get here, showing that in his mind he already possesses the experience of a man who has spent many seasons in the game.

First Masters 1000 Semifinal

“I am very happy to have reached my first semifinal. It was a goal I set at the beginning of the year, to try to do well in one of these Masters 1000. I knew I had a good chance to go far, whether it was quarterfinals, semifinals, or finals; I knew I was playing at a really good level of tennis. I am very happy that all the hard work is paying off.”

Two Weeks at the Highest Level

“Obviously, I came into the tournament with a lot of confidence, especially after Washington. I knew I needed to play well in the early rounds to have a chance to go far, and I overcame some tight matches in three sets to get here. I am very pleased with my performance today. Luckily, I didn’t have to play three sets.”

Serve, Forehand, and Confidence

“My serve and forehand have been really sharp over the past few weeks. It’s something we have been working hard on with my team. But I think the overall level of confidence is really high right now. Mentally, I go into every match knowing I can do well and play aggressively, and that gives me a good chance to win. I’m very happy with all of that.”

Brandon Nakashima No Longer Considers Himself One of the Young Players

“It was my birthday the day before the tournament started, so at 25, I’m now one of the oldest left in the draw. It’s nice to see the younger generation doing well. At the same time, I no longer feel like one of the young players on the tour. I’ve been on the circuit for five or six years, and I definitely have a lot of experience. It’s nice to finally make it far in these big tournaments.”

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The Body Responds

“Overall, my body has felt quite well these past weeks. Obviously, there have been a lot of matches and a lot of tennis for me. There is some soreness here and there, and some days I can feel a bit tired, but overall my body is doing pretty well. I’m feeling good on the court, I’m moving well, and now I just have to focus on a few more matches.”

Jódar or Fils, the Next Challenge

“Both are very powerful and explosive players. Rafa is a good friend of mine, so it has been amazing to see his rise and how he has become one of the best players in the world. Arthur is a bit older, and we’ve played several times, so I know his game a bit better. The year he’s having has been incredible, and both are playing at a very high level. It’s going to be a very tough match for me.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nakashima se hace mayor: “Ya no me siento uno de los jóvenes del circuito”