Taylor Fritz is through to the Washington Open final for the first time after outlasting compatriot Brandon Nakashima on Saturday.

Fritz has now gone the distance in his last two rounds, getting past Nakashima with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 in one hour and 48 minutes.

Despite appearing to hurt his knee in the quarter-finals, Fritz showed no signs of that early on and saved a break point in the fifth game to keep the match on serve.

Fritz then turned up the pressure by winning the final three games of the first set, but Nakashima fought back.

Nakashima got the decisive break in the fourth game of the second – on his third attempt – and gave Fritz no openings to cancel out the advantage as he forced a decider.

But Fritz recovered to start the third set with a three-game winning streak, with Nakashima unable to find a way back.

"Grabbing that break in the third set [made the difference]," Fritz said.

"It was really a narrow margin the whole time. Not a lot of chances either way. First set, I took my chance; in the second set, he did.

"I played a really good break point in the third set, and I dug very deep to just keep holding."

The final awaits

Who will be crowned champion? @mubadaladcopen | #MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/MWKroxZJeo

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 2, 2026

Fritz will face Rafael Jodar for the trophy on Sunday after the Spaniard came from behind to reach his first ATP 500 final.

It is the biggest final of Jodar's career to date, after he beat Alejandro Tabilo 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-4.

One trophy has already been lifted this weekend, though, with Arthur Gea upsetting Denis Shapovalov to claim the Los Cabos title.

Gea has just three tour-level victories to his name, but produced a composed performance to beat the defending champion 6-3 6-4 to clinch his maiden ATP Tour title.

Fourth time lucky for Fritz?

Fritz is through to his fourth ATP final of 2026, and his third at ATP 500 level, but he has lost each of the previous three he has played in, at Dallas, Stuttgart and Halle.

In fact, he has lost each of the last four finals he has featured in, while his last trophy on a hard court came all the way back in February 2024 (Delray Beach Open).

He fired 13 aces and won 80% of his first-serve points (36/45), and Jodar will be seeking a way to stop that strength as he chases his second ATP title, having won his first in Marrakech.

The teenager is the third Spanish men's finalist in tournament history after Alex Corretja in 2000 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina last year.