2026 Houston Entry List: Full Singles Field for U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships
The 2026 Houston entry list is out for the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships, the ATP 250 event played on outdoor clay in Texas.
Ben Shelton headlines the field, which includes a strong American group along with international clay-court threats like Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Alejandro Tabilo, and former champion Cristian Garin.
Here’s who’s scheduled to play the US Men’s Clay Court Championships as of March 4, 2026.
🇺🇸 Houston: U.S. Men’s Clay Court Hub
Defending champion Ben Shelton returns to the Houston clay! As the top seed in a field featuring Frances Tiafoe and Jordan Thompson, the American stars are ready to defend the home dirt.
Shelton Leads American Core
Ben Shelton is one of the top names in the field. Houston’s red clay plays firmer than the heavy European dirt, so his serve and forehand still matter here.
Tommy Paul brings a steady, adaptable game. He moves well and can win points in different ways, which is why he is a former US Men’s Clay Court champ.
Frances Tiafoe has already won this event and understands how to play these conditions.
The defending champion, Jenson Brooksby, doesn’t overpower people. He makes you play extra balls and forces you to make mistakes. That worked here in 2025.
Former Houston Open champion Reilly Opelka is always dangerous if he holds serve consistently. Even on clay, short points can carry him deep.
But this year’s field also includes several strong clay-court players from South America, including Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Alejandro Tabilo, and former Houston champion Cristian Garin, giving the event a more balanced clay dynamic.
Full 2026 Houston Singles Entry List
The following players are currently entered for the 2026 edition of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston:
- Ben Shelton (USA)
- Frances Tiafoe (USA)
- Tommy Paul (USA)
- Learner Tien (USA)
- Brandon Nakashima (USA)
- Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Argentina)
- Alejandro Tabilo (Chile)
- Jenson Brooksby (USA)
- Alex Michelsen (USA)
- Reilly Opelka (USA)
- Marcos Giron (USA)
- Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA)
- Thiago Agustin Tirante (Argentina)
- Eliot Spizzirri (USA)
- Jacob Fearnley (Great Britain)
- Cristian Garin (Chile)
- Adam Walton (Australia)
- Thanasi Kokkinakis (Australia) — protected ranking
The official draw will be released closer to the start of the tournament. As always in Houston, clay tends to compress margins, extend rallies, and reward players willing to grind through physical matches in the Texas conditions.
More updates will follow as withdrawals, wild cards, and qualifiers are confirmed.
What Kind of Clay Is Houston?
Houston uses red clay, specifically Lee Fast-Dry, but it isn’t the same heavy clay players see in Europe.
It’s essentially a red dressing layered over the traditional green Har-Tru base.
Because of that, it tends to play a little firmer and a little faster than the slower red clay courts at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Italian Open, or the French Open.
You still have to move. You still have to build points. But big serves and first-strike tennis don’t disappear in Houston the way they sometimes do in Monte Carlo or Paris.
It’s clay, just a slightly quicker Americanized version of it.
Past Champions (Last 10 Editions)
The US Men’s Clay Court Championships has produced a mix of American winners and experienced clay players over the past decade.
- 2025 — Jenson Brooksby
- 2024 — Ben Shelton
- 2023 — Frances Tiafoe
- 2022 — Reilly Opelka
- 2019 — Cristian Garin
- 2018 — Steve Johnson
- 2017 — Steve Johnson
- 2016 — Juan Monaco
- 2015 — Jack Sock
- 2014 — Fernando Verdasco
(Note: The event was not held in 2020 due to the tour shutdown.)
Players to Watch
Learner Tien
Learner Tien is one of the more interesting names on this entry list.
He knows how to move, and he’s willing to grind through long points.
Houston isn’t the slowest clay on the calendar, but you still have to defend, slide, and stay patient. That fits his game.
What stands out even more is this: over the last 52 weeks, he’s gone 3–4 against Top 10 opponents.
That tells you he isn’t overwhelmed by big stages or big names. He competes.
In a 250 like this, where margins are thin, and conditions are a little different than Europe, that kind of mentality matters.
Phil Naessens has spent decades in sports as a broadcaster, author, journalist, professional tennis coach, and betting analyst. As the founder and editor of Crush & Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, he combines firsthand coaching experience with years of sports media and publishing to deliver thoughtful tennis analysis, tournament coverage, player features, and transparent betting insights built around value, and not hype.
