Frances Tiafoe Will return to the clay court at River Oaks Club in 2026. Tiafoe, the 2023 U.S. clay-court champion, has finished runner-up in each of the past two editions of the tournament.
He was defeated in the 2025 final by fellow American Jenson Brooksby.
The ATP Tour’s only clay court event in North America will be held in Houston from March 28 to April 5. 2024 champion Ben Shelton has also signed to compete in the event.
“Francis has played in River Oaks for many years and has become a fan favorite here,” tournament director Bronwyn Grier said in a statement. “I think many of us feel like we’ve grown with him since he arrived here more than a decade ago. Many of our fans have loved following his career over the past decade, but the highlight has definitely been his time at the U.S. Clay Court Championships, and we’re excited for his commitment to making this an annual event.”
More on Tiafoe’s return to River Oaks from the tournament:
Tiafoe is the third player in the Open era to reach three consecutive U.S. clay court finals (along with Andy Roddick, 2021-05, and Andres Gomez, 1983-86), and Tiafoe has a 13-6 record in the event. He is 10-2 over the past three seasons at River Oaks. The only place he won more matches during this period was the U.S. Open, where he posted an 11-3 record in two quarterfinal appearances.
Tiafoe, a ten-time ATP finalist, has won three titles on tour. The former world number 10 recently parted ways with coach David Witt after reaching the quarter-finals at Roland Garros but failing to go further at Flushing Meadows, where he has twice reached the semi-finals of the US Open.
Tiafoe is now coached by former world No. 4 Todd Martin.
