Phil Naessens ATP 2026 Clay Court Power Rankings are finally available.
Naessens rankings cut through reputation and focus on results, consistency, and real clay performance to identify the top 100 players heading into Roland Garros.
Read on for Phil’s ATP 2026 Clay Court Power Rankings, exclusively for Crush & Rush News.
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How Phil’s Clay Court Power Rankings Work
Phil Naessens’ ATP 2026 Clay Court Power Rankings are built on what players actually do on clay, not reputation or overall ranking.
Every player is scored based on results in clay tournaments, how consistently they win matches, and how well their game holds up on this surface.
Big events like Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome carry the most weight. Winning or going deep in those tournaments matters more than results at smaller events.
Players who consistently perform on clay earn higher scores.
Each player also gets small adjustments based on their profile. Clay specialists get a boost. Rising players showing improvement get credit.
Age, injuries, or limited schedules can lower a player’s score.
This is not a prediction model. It’s a snapshot of who is performing best on clay right now, heading into Roland Garros.
Phil Naessens’ Clay Court Power Rankings (May 18 Update)
Phil’s power rankings are updated as of May 18, 2026.
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Powered by cElo · TennisAbstract
ATP Clay Court
Power Rankings
Power Rankings
99 active players ranked by clay ELO rating, tournament results, specialist pedigree, and trajectory. Updated for the 2026 European clay swing.
Players Ranked
99
Data Source
cElo · TennisAbstract
Last Updated
May 2026
Tiers:
S — Elite
A — Contenders
B — Dangerous
C — Competent
D — Struggling
S
Elite clay dominators
· 3 players · cElo 2000+
1
🇮🇹
Jannik Sinner ITA · 23
Monte Carlo W · Madrid W · Rome W · RG F · One point from a perfect big-clay sweep in 2025
96
2
🇪🇸
Carlos Alcaraz ESP · 21
RG W · Monte Carlo W · Rome W · Barcelona F · 22–1 on clay in 2025
81
3
🇳🇴
Casper Ruud NOR · 26
Madrid W (maiden M1000) · Rome F · 12 of 14 career titles on clay · RG 2R shock exit
84
A
Consistent clay contenders
· 10 players · cElo 1900–1999
4
🇩🇪
Alexander Zverev GER · 28
RG QF · Munich W · RG finalist 2024 · QF+ at RG in 7 of last 8 seasons
72
5
🇫🇷
Arthur Fils FRA · 20
Barcelona SF · Rome 4R · RG 3R · 7–2 vs top-20 on clay since 2024
67
6
🇷🇸
Novak Djokovic SRB · 38
RG SF · Geneva W (100th career title) · 6× Rome W · 3× RG champion
⚠ Below match floor. Selective schedule limits scoring.
63
7
🇬🇧
Jack Draper GBR · 23
Madrid F · Rome QF · RG 4R · First British M1000 clay final since Murray 2016
58
8
🇪🇸
Rafael Jodar ESP · 18
Marrakech W · Barcelona SF · Madrid QF · Rome QF · Breakout clay season
56
9
🇦🇷
Francisco Cerundolo ARG · 26
Madrid SF · Beat Zverev (1 seed) R16 · 7–2 vs top-20 on clay since 2024
52
10
🇷🇺
Daniil Medvedev RUS · 29
Madrid QF · Rome SF · Rome W 2023 · Surface outlier steadily improving
51
11
🇦🇷
Sebastian Baez ARG · 23
Rio W · Estoril W · Consistent 250 specialist · Strong clay win %
52
12
🇮🇹
Lorenzo Musetti ITA · 23
RG SF · Rome SF · Madrid SF · Monte Carlo F — SF+ at all 4 big clay events
51
B
Dangerous on clay
· 20 players · cElo 1800–1899
13
🇺🇸
Ben Shelton USA · 22
Munich F · RG 4R · Rome 2R · Houston W 2024 · Improving on clay
42
14
🇩🇰
Holger Rune DEN · 22
Barcelona W (def. Alcaraz) · RG 4R · Monte Carlo W 2024
49
15
🇺🇸
Tommy Paul USA · 27
RG QF · Rome SF · Back-to-back Rome SF — first American since Sampras 1993–94
49
16
🇧🇷
João Fonseca BRA · 18
Buenos Aires W (clay) · RG 1R · Enormous ceiling on clay
Could look far too low by end of 2026 clay season.
48
17
🇮🇹
Luciano Darderi ITA · 21
Marrakech W · Bastad W · Umag W · Three clay titles in 2025
44
18
🇩🇪
Daniel Altmaier GER · 27
Beat Taylor Fritz at RG R1 · MC 2R win over Auger-Aliassime · Clay specialist
47
19
🇲🇨
Valentin Vacherot MON · 28
Monte Carlo breakout run · Strong recent clay form · Limited ATP sample size
46
20
🇺🇸
Learner Tien USA · 20
Geneva W · RG 1R vs Zverev · Young American with rapidly developing clay game
Geneva title on clay is a real statement — watch him closely in 2026.
12
21
🇺🇸
Frances Tiafoe USA · 27
RG QF · Madrid 4R · First American pair at RG QF since Sampras/Courier 1996
46
22
🇷🇺
Andrey Rublev RUS · 27
Madrid W 2024 (defending) · Rome 2R · RG 4R · Inconsistent 2025 clay
43
23
🇰🇿
Alexander Bublik KAZ · 27
RG QF · Beat de Minaur Rome R2 · Wild card — dangerous on any surface
45
24
🇦🇷
Tomas M. Etcheverry ARG · 24
RG 4R · Multiple 250 runs · Clay-first game · Consistent on the dirt
45
25
🇵🇪
Ignacio Buse PER · 21
Hamburg W · Breakout clay title · Young Peruvian making his mark on European clay
First Peruvian to win an ATP 500 on clay. A name to watch all season.
44
26
🇮🇹
Flavio Cobolli ITA · 22
Hamburg W · Bucharest W · Two clay titles in 2025 · Rome 4R
44
27
🇦🇺
Alexei Popyrin AUS · 25
Barcelona W · RG 4R · Rome 3R · Madrid 2R · Career-best clay season in 2025
43
28
🇨🇱
Alejandro Tabilo CHI · 27
Rome SF 2024 · MC 2R 2025 · Solid clay foundation · Patchy 2025
42
29
🇺🇸
Taylor Fritz USA · 27
Madrid 4R · RG 1R · Clay clearly his weakest surface
38
30
🇳🇱
Tallon Griekspoor NED · 28
Rome 3R · RG 3R · Solid 250/500 clay record · Capable but inconsistent
37
31
🇷🇸
Miomir Kecmanovic SRB · 25
Rome 3R · Madrid 2R · MC 2R · Consistent clay specialist, limited ceiling
36
32
🇬🇧
Cameron Norrie GBR · 29
Geneva SF 2025 · Rome 2R · Rio W 2023 · Solid clay record gradually fading
34
C
Competent clay players
· 27 players · cElo 1650–1799
33
🇮🇹
Matteo Berrettini ITA · 29
Rome 3R · Madrid 3R · Returning to form · Strong clay pedigree
30
34
🇬🇷
Stefanos Tsitsipas GRE · 26
3× Monte Carlo W · Rome 3R · RG 2R · Steep 2025 decline from career peak
27
35
🇵🇹
Nuno Borges POR · 27
Beat Ruud (7 seed) RG R2 · Marrakech F · Solid clay record
29
36
🇨🇿
Jakub Mensik CZE · 19
Madrid QF · NextGen clay form developing fast · Huge ceiling
28
37
🇧🇬
Grigor Dimitrov BUL · 33
Madrid 4R · RG 1R (ret.) · Strong historical clay record · Age limiting
28
38
🇪🇸
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina ESP · 25
Rome 3R · Madrid 3R · Clay is unquestionably his best surface · Streaky
26
39
🇵🇱
Hubert Hurkacz POL · 28
Rome QF · RG 1R · Clay well below his hard court ceiling
26
40
🇦🇺
Alex de Minaur AUS · 26
Madrid 4R · Rome 2R · Clay improving but still weakest surface
27
41
🇫🇷
Ugo Humbert FRA · 26
Rome 2R (ret.) · RG 2R (ret.) · Injuries hurt 2025 clay season badly
24
42
🇦🇷
Mariano Navone ARG · 24
Multiple 250 runs · Rome 2R vs Sinner · Strong South American clay record
23
43
🇮🇹
Lorenzo Sonego ITA · 30
Madrid 2R · Rome 2R · Steady Italian clay presence · Best on slow clay
22
44
🇷🇸
Laslo Djere SRB · 29
Chile W · Multiple 250 SF · Reliable South American clay specialist
22
45
🇨🇦
Denis Shapovalov CAN · 26
RG 2R · Rome 3R · Madrid 2R · Inconsistent but capable of clay upsets
21
46
🇪🇸
Jaume Munar ESP · 27
Career-high 2025 · Madrid 2R · Rome 2R · Slow clay specialist
21
47
🇨🇱
Nicolás Jarry CHI · 29
Rome F 2024 · 2025 collapse · Rome 2R 2025 · Points dropped heavily
20
48
🇮🇹
Matteo Arnaldi ITA · 24
MC 2R · Madrid 3R · Comfortable Italian on clay · Rising
20
49
🇪🇸
Roberto Bautista Agut ESP · 36
Veteran clay performer · Rome 2R · MC 2R · Age significantly limiting
19
50
🇺🇸
Jenson Brooksby USA · 24
Houston W 2025 · Saved 5 match points en route · Return from long injury
19
51
🇭🇺
Fabian Marozsan HUN · 24
Madrid 2R · Rome 2R · MC 3R · Dangerous on clay, inconsistent
19
52
🇷🇸
Hamad Medjedovic SRB · 21
RG 3R · Rome 2R · NextGen clay talent improving rapidly
18
53
🇫🇷
Corentin Moutet FRA · 26
RG 2R vs Djokovic · Madrid 2R · Tricky clay game · Inconsistent results
18
54
🇧🇪
Zizou Bergs BEL · 25
RG 2R · MC 2R · Career-high ranking 2025 · Solid clay baseline game
17
55
🇦🇷
Camilo Ugo Carabelli ARG · 27
Rome 2R vs Zverev · South American clay circuit regular · Specialist
17
56
🇺🇸
Sebastian Korda USA · 24
RG 3R · Rome 3R · Madrid 3R · Capable of winning rounds, clay ceiling limited
16
57
🇨🇿
Jiri Lehecka CZE · 23
RG 3R · Rome 2R · Madrid 2R · Serve-heavy game adapts modestly to clay
16
58
🇦🇷
Juan Manuel Cerundolo ARG · 24
Madrid 2R · South American clay specialist · Francisco’s younger brother
16
59
🇪🇸
Pablo Carreño Busta ESP · 33
Veteran clay specialist · Rome 2R · Experience on slow clay · Age limiting
15
D
Struggling on clay
· 40 players · cElo below 1650
60
🇺🇸
Brandon Nakashima USA · 23
RG 1R · Rome 3R · Madrid 3R · Hard-court primary, clay a struggle
13
61
🇷🇺
Karen Khachanov RUS · 28
Madrid 4R · RG 3R · Inconsistent but accumulates rounds on clay
13
62
🇨🇦
Félix Auger-Aliassime CAN · 24
Madrid 2R (withdrew) · RG 1R · Extended winless stretch on clay
13
63
🇫🇷
Arthur Rinderknech FRA · 27
Career-high 2025 · MC 2R · RG 2R vs Sinner · Home clay advantage
12
64
🇫🇷
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard FRA · 21
RG 2R · Huge serve but clay transition in progress · Watch this space
15
65
🇫🇷
Adrian Mannarino FRA · 36
Rome 2R · MC 1R · Veteran grinder · Best clay days behind him
11
66
🇦🇺
Jordan Thompson AUS · 30
Rome 2R · MC 1R · Hard-court baseline game · Clay is a genuine struggle
11
67
🇨🇱
Cristian Garín CHI · 28
Former top-20 on clay · Injury-hit seasons · South American circuit regular
10
68
🇦🇷
Francisco Comesaña ARG · 24
Madrid 3R · South American clay regular · Specialist developing well
10
69
🇳🇱
Botic van de Zandschulp NED · 29
Madrid 2R · Occasional upsets but no real clay consistency
10
70
🇩🇪
Jan-Lennard Struff GER · 34
MC 2R · Veteran appearances · Serve useful on faster clay · Declining
9
71
🇬🇧
Jacob Fearnley GBR · 23
Rome 2R · Madrid 2R · Promising British clay presence · Early stages
9
72
🇮🇹
Mattia Bellucci ITA · 23
RG 1R (pushed Draper hard) · Rising Italian · Improving on native surface
9
73
🇨🇦
Gabriel Diallo CAN · 23
Madrid 2R · Career-high 2025 · Tall ball-striker adapting to clay
9
74
🇭🇺
Marton Fucsovics HUN · 33
MC 1R · Veteran clay appearances · Eastern European dirt pedigree fading
8
75
🇺🇸
Alex Michelsen USA · 20
Rome 2R · RG 1R · Clay very early development stage
8
76
🇦🇹
Sebastian Ofner AUT · 27
Rome 2R · Rome QF 2024 · Capable of deep runs from low draw positions
8
77
🇦🇷
Federico Coria ARG · 32
South American clay specialist · 250 circuit stalwart · Limited 1000 impact
8
78
🇫🇷
Alexandre Muller FRA · 27
Career-high 2025 · RG 2R · Clay-friendly game · Solid improving Frenchman
8
79
🇪🇸
Pedro Martínez ESP · 27
Consistent Spanish clay player · 250 circuit · MC qualifying regular
7
80
🇮🇹
Luca Nardi ITA · 21
Rome WC · Young Italian · Clay is native surface · Developing well
7
81
🇦🇷
Thiago Agustín Tirante ARG · 23
South American clay regular · 250 level specialist · Solid on dirt
7
82
🇪🇸
Bernabé Zapata Miralles ESP · 27
Spanish clay specialist · 250 circuit regular · Limited 1000 draws
7
83
🇺🇸
Marcos Giron USA · 30
MC 2R (beat Shapovalov) · Rome 2R · Capable clay upsets · Hard-court primarily
6
84
🇵🇱
Kamil Majchrzak POL · 32
Consistent 250 clay circuit · Limited 1000 impact · Reliable specialist
6
85
🇦🇷
Pedro Cachín ARG · 29
South American clay specialist · 250 circuit stalwart · Steady on the dirt
6
86
🇮🇹
Matteo Gigante ITA · 24
Rome WC · RG 1R vs Shelton · Rising Italian clay talent
6
87
🇧🇴
Hugo Dellien BOL · 30
RG 1R · South American clay mainstay · Limited 1000-level impact
5
88
🇷🇺
Roman Safiullin RUS · 27
Rome 1R vs Ruud · Geneva 2R · Inconsistent clay results throughout 2025
5
89
🇦🇺
Aleksandar Vukic AUS · 28
Top-100 in 2025 · Clay record unremarkable · Hard-court player primarily
5
90
🇳🇱
Jesper de Jong NED · 25
Rome 2R vs Zverev · Qualifying-level at 1000s · Clay-comfortable baseline
5
91
🇺🇸
Reilly Opelka USA · 30
Madrid 3R · Rome 2R · Serve works on clay but movement a liability
4
92
🇸🇪
Mikael Ymer SWE · 27
Clay circuit regular · Limited 2025 results · Steady presence on dirt
4
93
🇫🇷
Kyrian Jacquet FRA · 23
RG qualifier regular · Clay-comfortable Frenchman · Limited main draw data
4
94
🇫🇷
Luca Van Assche FRA · 21
RG qualifier · Rising French clay talent · Very limited tour data
3
95
🇪🇸
Albert Ramos-Vinolas ESP · 36
RG 1R vs Ruud · Veteran Spanish clay specialist · Career winding down
3
96
🇸🇪
Elias Ymer SWE · 28
250 clay circuit · Challenger-level specialist · Limited ATP main draw clay data
3
97
🇨🇭
Stan Wawrinka SUI · 40
MC 1R (lost to Tabilo) · 3× major winner · Age and fitness now limiting
3
98
🇨🇭
Leandro Riedi SUI · 22
250 clay circuit · Developing Swiss specialist · Limited ATP tour-level clay data
3
99
🇪🇸
Roberto Carballes Baena ESP · 32
Spanish clay specialist · 250 circuit regular · 32 and fading on tour
2
Clay doesn’t lie. Over the next few weeks, we’ll find out which of these players can keep winning when the matches get longer, the pressure gets higher, and every point matters more.
Some of these rankings will hold. Some won’t.
That’s the point.
These ATP 2026 Clay Court Power Rankings will be updated weekly (Monday’s) throughout the clay season, tracking results from each tournament as we move toward Roland Garros.
The players who win will move up. The ones who don’t will fall back. We’ll track it all right here.
Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
