MONTREAL — Rafael Jodar’s journey at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers came to an end on Wednesday evening at the IGA Stadium, but his ascent to greatness continues unabated.
Standing at six-foot-three, Jodar’s remarkable talent illuminated the courts of Montreal, mirroring his recent spectacular showing in Washington where he reached the finals. Had it not been for the stellar performance of Brandon Nakashima, the 19-year-old Spaniard could have made history as the youngest male finalist here since his compatriot Rafael Nadal achieved the feat back in 2005.
Even with a 7-6 (3), 6-4 defeat to Nakashima, this moment feels like a mere speed bump on Jodar’s road to stardom. Starting the year ranked 168th in the world, he finds himself now teetering on the cusp of the top 10.
Although Nakashima’s exceptional play thwarted his chances tonight, Jodar’s next tournament presents a fresh opportunity to become the fastest player in the Open Era to rise from the top 100 to the top 10, a record previously held by Boris Becker in just 210 days during the 1985 season.
Before facing Jodar, Nakashima described him as “explosive and powerful,” adding, “It’s been incredible to witness his journey to the upper echelons of tennis.”
Jodar’s remarkable rise began with an impressive victory in Marrakesh, Morocco, back in April, followed by a semifinal finish in Barcelona, quarterfinals at the Masters events in Madrid and Rome, and a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open. His win over Arthur Fils in Montreal marked his 34th victory of the season, propelling him to 11th in the rankings before Nakashima halted his momentum.
The 25-year-old San Diego native was relentless in the first set, with a serving accuracy of 70% and a fierce attack on Jodar’s second serve, allowing him to seize control of the match early on.
Nakashima opened the second set by breaking Jodar at love, and he only faced his first break point in the fourth game, successfully saving it along with five others throughout the match to secure a spot in his first-ever Masters 1000 final.
“This is definitely a top-three moment of my career,” Nakashima reflected, “and I’m just trying to soak it all in.”
He reminisced fondly about his first ATP title victory in his hometown last year.
However, fulfilling his potential has been an ongoing quest for Nakashima. After reaching the semifinal in D.C. and the final in Montreal, he seems to have found his peak form.
Nakashima triumphed over highly ranked competitors Jakub Mensik and Alex de Minaur in D.C. before succumbing to the eventual champion Taylor Fritz. In Montreal, he continued to excel, overcoming Titouan Droguet and Arthur Rinderknech before defeating No. 19 Luciano Darderi and then the formidable Jodar, ensuring the first all-American final in Montreal since Andre Agassi bested Pete Sampras in 1995. His match against reigning NBO champion Ben Shelton will also mark the first all-American final at a Masters 1000 event since Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish in Cincinnati in August 2005.
While Nakashima will enter as an underdog against Shelton, who dominated Learner Tien 6-2, 6-3 in the other semifinal and aims to climb from 10th to 6th in the world rankings, he overcame odds against the talented Jodar through exceptional serving and a fierce forehand.
Nakashima exited the court jubilant about his performance.
“I’m feeling ecstatic right now,” he expressed. “All the hard work I’ve put in has led me to this moment, and I’m just thrilled that it’s finally paying off…”
This achievement is particularly sweet, even with world Nos. 1 and 2, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, along with all-time Grand Slam leader Novak Djokovic opting out of both tournaments in D.C. and Montreal. Nakashima carries newfound confidence into the final against Shelton, eager to leverage this momentum against the world’s elite players.
He acknowledges that Jodar is already on a trajectory towards becoming one of them.
“Everyone recognizes the talent he possesses and the exceptional level he can reach,” Nakashima noted. “This year has seen a meteoric rise like we haven’t witnessed before. It’s wonderful to see his progress, and it’s certainly exciting for his future.”
