By Richard Pagliaro Thursday, February 5, 2026
Photo credit: Marc Kolbe/Getty
Two former Houston champions will return to the clay courts of River Oaks.
defending champion Jason Brooksby and the 2022 title Riley Opelka is the latest player to commit to the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
Brooksby and Opelka will join past champions Ben Shelton (2024) and Frances Tiafoe (2023) There are also compatriots Tommy Paul, learner field and Alex Michelson The only ATP Tour clay court event in North America.
The tournament is scheduled for March 28-April 5 at River Oaks Country Club.
“We are looking forward to this year’s tournament, where four of our most recent champions will compete for another title at River Oaks,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “The recent winter weather has certainly had us all dreaming of warm, sunny days, and with spring just around the corner, this strong roster gives us a lot to look forward to.”
Here is part of the tournament press release:
Brooksby Unranked entering last season, returning after an extended absence that included surgeries on both wrists. A qualifier to win the U.S. clay court title for the second time, his path to the trophy was nearly impossible as he saved match points in three games before claiming his first career title.
Later in the year, Brooksby reached the final at Eastbourne, for the fourth time in his career, and the semi-finals in Tokyo. The 25-year-old Californian was named the 2021 ATP Rookie of the Year. This will be his third appearance in River Oaks.
Opelka Returning to River Oaks for the first time since defeating John Isner in the 2022 championship game. The U.S. clay court championship is one of four titles he has won in seven career finals.
Opelka missed most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injury. He returned in 2025, reaching the Brisbane final, ‘s-Hertogenbosch semi-finals and three other quarter-finals. This will be his fifth appearance in River Oaks.
Sheldon It will also be his first appearance since winning the River Oaks title. In 2025, he finished in the top 10 for the first time in his career. Last month, he reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
Tiafoe Participated in the U.S. Clay Court Championships in each of the past three seasons. During his career, he has reached the finals 10 times and won 3 championships. Last season, he advanced to the quarterfinals at the French Open clay court.
field Reached the quarter-finals of this season’s Australian Open. This follows a stellar 2025 season, which included titles at the Next Generation ATP Finals and Metz and a runner-up finish in Beijing.
2025, Michelson Reached three semifinals and four quarterfinals, including at River Oaks. On clay, he won the Challenger Tournament in Estoril. During his career, he reached the ATP finals three times.
paul Started off strong in 2025, but lost much of the second half of the season to injury. He broke into the top 10 for the first time after reaching the quarterfinals at both the Australian Open and French Open, while reaching the semifinals in three of the first six ATP events this season.
