This year, American hopes at Wimbledon have really taken a hit, especially with the rain causing chaos on the outer courts once again. In Southern England, the usual drizzle has caused quite a few interruptions—matches on Court 12 and other open areas were paused for more than an hour because of the rain, while Centre Court and No. 1 Court, with their roofs closed, kept going strong.

The weather issues have really hit the lower-seeded players hard, especially a lot of the American ones, as their matches on the open courts kept getting interrupted. Even though a record 35 Americans made it into the singles draws — with 19 women and 16 men — not many have made it past the early rounds. So, Taylor Fritz had a tough time but managed to pull off a five-set win, while Coco Gauff unfortunately got knocked out in the first round. Jessica Pegula also went out early, adding to the tough situation for U.S. players.

The ongoing rain delays have really thrown a wrench in things, breaking the momentum and messing with preparations, particularly for those matches that didn’t have the benefit of the protected roofs. In a similar vein, Brandon Nakashima’s match with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego also fell prey to the unpredictable weather. In the middle of their match on one of the outer courts, the game had to be paused because rain started pouring down, interrupting their flow and sending the players off the court.

On X, edgeAI shared an update, stating, “Rain is back at Wimbledon. Play has stopped again on some of the outer courts. Grigor Dimitrov vs Sebastian Ofner. Brandon Nakashima vs Lorenzo Sonego. Clara Tauson vs Elena Rybakina. Belinda Bencic vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Also doubles matches.”

Nakashima had looked pretty good in the earlier rounds, but this interruption might be a game-changer as he tries to find his rhythm again after some ups and downs on grass earlier this season. But his knack for resetting both mentally and physically during the break will be really important. Play around the grounds has been held up even more because of delays in other matches, like Grigor Dimitrov taking on Sebastian Ofner, Clara Tauson against Elena Rybakina, and Belinda Bencic facing Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Plus, there’s been no word on the outer-court doubles matches, which are all on pause because of the weather. These stoppages make it even tougher for players to adjust their routines and stay focused with all the schedule changes happening. More importantly, what were Nakashima’s thoughts just before he arrived at Wimbledon?

Brandon Nakashima was just excited for Wimbledon

Brandon Nakashima has shared his thoughts on his mindset and preparations as he got ready to hit the Wimbledon grass in 2025. Before his opening round, he shared his excitement and confidence in his game after some time on the grass, saying, “I think it could be more of an advantage for sure. When you’re on the match courts, you get a little more confident, you get your timing and into a rhythm really, whether it’s before matches or during.”

Nakashima definitely seemed really confident with what he said! But the American tennis star also pointed out the challenges ahead, saying, “At the same time, these Grand Slam tournaments are pretty long, and you try to rest and recover as best as possible, especially in the off days. Although it’s been a lot of hours on the court, I’ve gotten a lot of confidence from it – I have gotten used to the playing conditions as well.”

Wimbledon is always a bit tricky, and he was well aware of that. With his optimism in check, he was all set for the tennis tournament.