Picture credit score: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis
A primary-time member of the Prime 10 in the course of the 2025 season, Tommy Paul has dedicated to make a return journey to the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Males’s Clay Courtroom Championship throughout his 2026 marketing campaign.
Paul joins beforehand introduced area entrants that features a pair of previous champions – Ben Shelton (2024) and Frances Tiafoe (2023) – together with a duo of younger US gamers, Learner Tien, 20, and Alex Michelsen, 21.
The American quintet will participate within the ATP Tour’s solely North American clay court docket match when it’s held March 28-April 5 at River Oaks Nation Membership.
“Tommy’s been so properly appreciated through the years right here at River Oaks, so we’re thrilled to welcome him again for this spring’s match,” stated Event Director Bronwyn Greer. “With these 5 gamers dedicated coupled with the Australian Open getting underway quickly, the countdown to Houston’s tennis week is unquestionably on.”
Paul’s rating rise final season was fueled by Grand Slam success. He first broke into the Prime 10 by reaching the ultimate eight on the Australian Open. Within the subsequent main, he once more reached the quarterfinals, this time on the clay at Roland Garros, which pushed him to a profession excessive rating of No. 8.
Paul was the primary American to succeed in quarterfinals at every of the season’s first two Slams since Andre Agassi in 2003.
He superior to the semifinals at three of his first six ATP tournaments final season, together with US Clay at River Oaks. Later within the spring, he added a semifinal on the Masters 1000 clay court docket occasion in Madrid. Accidents restricted Paul’s play within the second half of the season, however he nonetheless completed the yr ranked No. 20.
Off the court docket, Paul introduced in July his engagement to Paige Lorenze.
In his profession, Paul owns 4 titles and has been a finalist on three different events. A former junior champion at Roland Garros, this shall be Paul’s fifth look at River Oaks.
Like Paul, Shelton made his Prime 10 debut in 2025, peaking at No. 5. The 23-year-old certified for the ATP Finals for the primary time after a season highlighted by the title on the Masters 1000 occasion in Toronto. He additionally reached the semifinals on the Australian Open and quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
Tiafoe shall be bidding to succeed in a fourth consecutive ultimate at River Oaks when he returns. A former Prime 10 participant himself, Tiafoe reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2025. He has reached 10 profession ATP finals and received the trophy at three occasions.
Tien closed his 2025 season by claiming the title on the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals, a year-end occasion for the Tour’s greatest 20-and-under gamers that counts Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as previous champions. In October, Tien reached his first-ever ATP ultimate at Beijing, then one month later, claimed his first title at Metz, France.
Michelsen was a three-time semifinalist throughout 2025 whereas additionally reaching 4 quarterfinals, together with at River Oaks. He additionally discovered success on clay with a title on the Challenger Tour occasion in Estoril, Portugal.
Extra gamers shall be introduced previous to the total area being launched in early March.
Qualifying will kick off play at River Oaks on March 28, with the preliminary rounds happening on Stadium Courtroom for the primary time. Finals Sunday, April 5, will function each the singles and doubles finals.
