Nakashima dominates, Jódar Camacho fights to the last point
It was a semifinal with a historic backdrop: on the outdoor hard courts of IGA Stadium in Jarry Park, two former University of Virginia teammates faced each other in their very first singles meeting on the ATP Tour. Brandon Nakashima defeated Rafael Jódar Camacho 7:6 (7:3) and 6:4 to advance to the biggest final of his career — the American's first Masters 1000 final.
Nakashima pushed the Spaniard onto the back foot from the outset with aggressive baseline play and well-timed net approaches. He won 74 percent of points on serve, struck six aces and committed zero double faults. His return game was the foundation of his success: he saved every break point Jódar Camacho earned throughout the match, finishing with a break points saved rate of one hundred percent.
Tiebreak settles the first set
The opening set was evenly contested, but Nakashima maintained control from the baseline. At 4:4, Jódar Camacho earned his only genuine break point of the first set — only for Nakashima to save it despite having fallen behind 0:30. In the tiebreak that followed, Jódar Camacho pushed a forehand into the net to hand Nakashima the first mini-break. Nakashima made the most of the advantage and closed out the tiebreak 7:3, taking the first set.
Early break decides the second set
Nakashima wasted no time signalling his intent at the start of the second set: he broke Jódar Camacho in the very first service game and never relinquished the lead. The Spaniard, who had contested the final in Washington D.C. just days earlier, showed plenty of heart but was unable to convert any of his break points — his break point conversion rate remained at zero percent for the entire match.
The most dramatic moment came in the final game: serving for the match at 5:4 in the second set, Nakashima was forced to save four break points in a game that lasted around ten to twelve minutes. Jódar Camacho fended off four match points before Nakashima finally sealed it on the fifth. Had the Spaniard fought any less tenaciously, the scoreline would have been even more clear-cut.
Historic context and what comes next
For both players, it was their first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal — a fitting footnote in what has been a historically remarkable tournament overall. All eight quarterfinalists in Montreal were born in the 2000s, something that had never happened before in ATP tennis history. Jódar Camacho, at 19 the youngest player born in 2006 ever to reach a Masters 1000 semifinal, bowed out despite a spirited display. Nakashima, meanwhile, continues his strong run under coach Wayne Ferreira, who took charge in June 2026: he had reached the semifinal in three of their four tournaments together — and in Montreal, he has gone one step further.
