Canadian Denis Shapovalov will make his Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship debut this year as he has committed to join the field at River Oaks Country Club for this year’s ATP tournament that will be held March 30-April 7.
Shapovalov joins a singles field that includes defending champion Frances Tiafoe, last year’s finalist Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Americans Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Chris Eubanks, and Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson.
“We are thrilled Denis will be coming to River Oaks for the first time,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “We are so fortunate that many players, such as Frances, do come back year after year to play our event. It’s also very exciting for our fans to be able to see players like Denis, Ben and Chris up close and personal for the first time.”
Shapovalov made a quick impact on the ATP Tour, winning both Newcomer and Most Improved Player honors in 2017 in his first full season after winning the 2016 Wimbledon Boys’ title. The 24-year-old lefthander claimed his first ATP title in Stockholm in 2019 and has reached five more finals in his career.
At the Majors, he has reached the quarterfinals at the Australian and US Opens while also reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. Representing Canada, he has helped his country to titles in both the ATP Cup and Davis Cup in 2022.
The American quartet – Tiafoe, Paul, Shelton and Eubanks – are all ranked in the Top 35 on the ATP Tour after each having reached at least the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam since 2022. Tiafoe will be bidding to be the first player to win back-to-back US Clay titles for the first time since Steve Johnson in 2017-18, while Paul is returning to the venue where he won his first career ATP Tour match. Both Shelton and Eubanks will be making their main draw debuts at River Oaks.
Etcheverry, a 24-year-old from Argentina, has reached a career high in the rankings this month. In addition to a run to the final at River Oaks last year, he also was runner-up in Santiago, Chile, and reached the quarterfinals at the French Open.
Purcell and Thompson are both ranked inside the world’s Top 50 and have reached career highs in the rankings since they played at River Oaks last year. The countrymen will also defend their US Clay doubles title.
The singles entry list for the 2024 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship will be released in early March.
Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club
River Oaks Country Club is hosting a professional tennis tournament for the 88th time when the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship will be held March 30-April 7, 2024. River Oaks first hosted its own tournament, The River Oaks International, in 1931, and its roster of former champions includes Jack Kramer, Tony Trabert, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas and James Blake. Houston is the 21st city to host the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. The tournament came to Houston in 2001, and has been hosted at River Oaks since 2008. Started in 1910 by the USTA, the 2024 tournament will be the 112th competition for the Clay Court Championship. American Frances Tiafoe was the 2023 singles champion while Australia’s Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson won the doubles title. The tournament beneficiary is the National Junior Tennis & Learning programs of the Houston Tennis Association. More information about the tournament can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com.
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