By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Houston will welcome Tiafoe Time next spring.
Frances Tiafoe will be back to defend his U.S. Men's Clay Championship on the historic red clay of River Oaks March 30-April 7th.
More: Djokovic's Dream
“Since he first came to Houston as a teenager, Frances has been a fan favorite at U.S. Clay,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “His run to the title in 2023 was exhilarating to watch, and his excitement in celebrating that win was a lot of fun to witness. We eagerly await the chance to welcome Frances and his contagious energy back to River Oaks in 2024.”
The top seed in an ATP tournament for the first time and ranked No. 15, he was the highest ranked Houston champion and first top seed to win since No. 4 Andy Roddick in 2005. Tiafoe lost his serve just once in the tournament, winning 97% of his service games.
The title was Tiafoe’s second of his career and he followed it two months later by winning a grass court event to own titles on all three surfaces – hard, clay and grass. Tiafoe's two titles in 2023 helped propel him into the world’s Top 10 for the first time and a second straight Top 20 year-end ranking. He won a career-best 40 matches this year reaching eight quarterfinals, including the US Open.
Tiafoe's 2022 US Open semifinal run that included a thrilling win over Rafael Nadal was highlighted in June on the Netflix series Break Point. The 2024 U.S. Clay event will be Tiafoe’s sixth in Houston, where he reached his first-ever ATP final in 2017 when he was doubles runner-up with Dustin Brown.
The Champ Pass - Finals Weekend package, which guarantees the same seat for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, along with Daily Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 1. West Grandstand tickets are on sale now. To purchase or for more information, please visit mensclaycourt.com/tickets.
Photo credit: U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship