Carmel Valley tennis player Brandon Nakashima takes ATP Challenger title in France

Carmel Valley’s Brandon Nakashima took his second ATP Challenger title at the Open Quimper Bretagne Occidentale on Quimper, France on Feb. 7. At 19 years old, Nakashima is the third-youngest American to win multiple Challenger titles (the youngest was Rancho Santa Fe native Taylor Fritz).

In the final on the indoor hard courts of the Parc des Expositions, Nakashima bested Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles, 6-3, 6-4. After his win, Nakashima rose to a career-high No. 135 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

“It feels great,” Nakashima told the ATP Challenger Tour. “It’s definitely been a long two weeks, but I thought I played the matches really well. It’s exciting to come out on top. It’s my first Challenger victory in France, but I’m always very excited to come here. I played juniors at Roland Garros for two years and then qualified for the men’s tournament last year. I always enjoy coming out here and playing.

“I’ve been doing a lot of fitness, especially during the offseason. That is, to prepare for these exact moments. I’m just happy that it paid off and I was able to play well for all these matches.”

Nakashima will look to continue his strong season next week in Cherbourg, France, aiming for a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, Italy in November.