ATP frances tiafoe Brandon Nakashima Arthur Fils ATP Cincinnati 2026

Tiafoe disarms Nakashima and will fight for the Cincinnati title against Fils

Andrés Tomás Rico - 23 Aug 2026
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Tiafoe disarms Nakashima and will fight for the Cincinnati title against Fils. Photo: Getty Images

Frances Tiafoe is becoming that Frances Tiafoe again who is capable of beating anyone on hard courts, even the fittest player on this North American hard court tour like Brandon Nakashima. The Maryland native was very serious and convincing, both in serve and return, and he dismantled his compatriot, who seemed a bit erratic, to claim victory by 7-5, 6-3. Now his last hurdle to lift his first Masters 1000 in Cincinnati is called Arthur Fils.

Frances Tiafoe will fight for his fifth ATP title in the final of the 2026 Cincinnati Masters 1000

In the first set, breaks and counter-breaks came pouring in, but it always felt like Tiafoe was more composed and confident. However, he had to endure and go through a delicate moment when serving for 5-5. Nakashima had three set points, but Tiafoe managed to neutralize them all, the last one with a passing shot on the forehand right on the line. That moment of the set was crucial, as Nakashima collapsed and Tiafoe finished off the first set by 7-5.

The match had few rallies and many serves. But it was in those exchanges where Tiafoe’s superiority was evident. Nakashima's physique began to show signs of fatigue, and 'Big Foe' broke in the early stages of the second set to clear the path to his second Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati.

Nakashima waved the white flag and faded from the match, taking away his chances of repeating a Masters 1000 final. Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe did not slow down and secured a valuable victory by 7-5, 6-3 to fight for the championship title against Arthur Fils. In this way, he seeks to redeem himself from the lost final in 2024 against Jannik Sinner. However, regardless of who wins, there will be a new Masters 1000 champion.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tiafoe desarma a Nakashima y luchará por el título de Cincinnati ante Fils