diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/engine_adapter/athena.py b/sqlmesh/core/engine_adapter/athena.py
index abaf7ba281..adab019cc6 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/core/engine_adapter/athena.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/core/engine_adapter/athena.py
@@ -103,24 +103,49 @@ def _get_data_objects(
         """
         schema_name = to_schema(schema_name)
         schema = schema_name.db
-        query = (
-            exp.select(
-                exp.column("table_catalog").as_("catalog"),
-                exp.column("table_schema", table="t").as_("schema"),
-                exp.column("table_name", table="t").as_("name"),
-                exp.case()
-                .when(
-                    exp.column("table_type", table="t").eq("BASE TABLE"),
-                    exp.Literal.string("table"),
-                )
-                .else_(exp.column("table_type", table="t"))
-                .as_("type"),
+
+        base_query = exp.select(
+            exp.column("table_catalog", table="t").as_("catalog"),
+            exp.column("table_schema", table="t").as_("schema"),
+            exp.column("table_name", table="t").as_("name"),
+            exp.case()
+            .when(
+                exp.column("table_type", table="t").eq("BASE TABLE"),
+                exp.Literal.string("table"),
             )
-            .from_(exp.to_table("information_schema.tables", alias="t"))
-            .where(exp.column("table_schema", table="t").eq(schema))
-        )
+            .else_(exp.column("table_type", table="t"))
+            .as_("type"),
+        ).from_(exp.to_table("information_schema.tables", alias="t"))
+
         if object_names:
-            query = query.where(exp.column("table_name", table="t").isin(*object_names))
+            # Use CTE with VALUES for better performance when filtering specific tables
+            query = (
+                base_query.join(
+                    exp.to_identifier("object_names"),
+                    on=exp.column("table_name", table="t").eq(
+                        exp.column("name", table="object_names")
+                    ),
+                )
+                .where(exp.column("table_schema", table="t").eq(schema))
+                .with_(
+                    "object_names",
+                    exp.select(exp.column("name")).from_(
+                        exp.Values(
+                            expressions=[
+                                exp.Tuple(expressions=[exp.Literal.string(name)])
+                                for name in object_names
+                            ],
+                            alias=exp.TableAlias(
+                                this="t",
+                                columns=[exp.column("name")],
+                            ),
+                        )
+                    ),
+                )
+            )
+        else:
+            # Simple query when no specific object names are provided
+            query = base_query.where(exp.column("table_schema", table="t").eq(schema))
 
         df = self.fetchdf(query)