Whom did Frances Tiafoe defeat in the 2026 Cincinnati Open men’s singles semifinals?

Frances Tiafoe defeated Brandon Nakashima in the 2026 Cincinnati Open men’s singles semifinals.

Tiafoe won the semifinal 7–5, 6–3, earning a place in the championship match against Arthur Fils. Nakashima’s run ended one round before the final, although he had already produced a strong tournament showing as the 27th seed.

The other semifinal featured Fils against Flavio Cobolli. Fils won that match 6–3, 6–4, setting up the final between two players who had not previously won the Cincinnati men’s singles title. Fils ultimately defeated Tiafoe in three sets.

Several American players reached the later rounds, which can make the semifinal matchups easy to confuse. Taylor Fritz lost to Nakashima in the quarterfinals, while Lorenzo Musetti lost to Tiafoe in the same round. Neither was Tiafoe’s semifinal opponent; Nakashima was the player he beat to reach the final.