Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Washington match.
Brandon Nakashima remains the last American in the bottom half of the draw and is now set to face seventh seed Alex de Minaur. The Australian is targeting a place in the semi-finals, and his playing style tends to thrive against opponents outside the top 10.
Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur ranks among the top three players on tour over the past year in percentage of return games won (29.6%) and has consistently dealt with lower-ranked opposition in a clinical manner. The Australian has picked up 11 wins in 14 matches this season. Although his performance against Jiří Lehečka was far from flawless, he remained composed and controlled the exchanges, particularly from the baseline. In his 15 hard-court matches in 2025, he has won 13, each in no more than 21 games.
Brandon Nakashima
Brandon Nakashima delivered solid performances against Ethan Quinn and Cameron Norrie, but overall his form has been disappointing. In 2025, he has lost four of five hard-court matches when coming in as the underdog. Against top-20 players with strong offensive games like Ben Shelton and Grigor Dimitrov, he was unable to win a set. Additionally, the American leans heavily on his serve and lacks the rallying consistency required to challenge a player with Alex de Minaur’s level of control.
Alex de Minaur vs Brandon Nakashima Prediction
Given Alex de Minaur’s current form and court coverage, Brandon Nakashima looks unlikely to mount a serious challenge. The Australian is highly effective on return and regularly dismantles lower-ranked opposition. A straight-sets victory for Alex de Minaur looks the most probable outcome.
