Preview U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship Final: Frances Tiafoe’s experience vs Jenson Brooksby’s comeback

Frances Tiafoe and Jenson Brooksby headline the final of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, in a tournament dominated by local players, with all eight quarter-finalists being Americans. Big Foe comes in with the edge of experience in these types of matches, and his strong track record in Houston makes him a very intimidating opponent.

However, Brooksby arrives with confidence sky-high. He saved three match points against third seed Alejandro Tabilo and another one in the semifinals against Tommy Paul. After spending over 13 hours on court this week, he’ll now aim for his first professional title and a swift return to the Top 200.

It hasn’t taken Jenson Brooksby long to find his level again, stringing together six straight wins in Houston after coming through the qualifying rounds. After an easy opening win against Taro Daniel, the 24-year-old American saved three match points in a third-set tiebreak to upset third seed Tabilo, rallying from 3–6 down to win 8–6.

That boost in confidence carried him past Aleksandar Kovacevic (2-6, 6-3, 6-4) and then the No. 1 seed Tommy Paul in the semifinals (7-6, 3-6, 7-6), again saving a match point in the third set tiebreak. Ranked just World No. 507, Brooksby has already secured a climb to at least No. 221 and could break into the Top 180 if he lifts the trophy – all with just a handful of tournaments under his belt this season.

Brooksby returned to the tour this year after serving a one-year suspension, starting the season with no ATP points. What better way to mark a comeback than by winning his first career title? He lost all three previous finals he played (2021–22), though none of those were on clay.

Big Foe always seems to bring extra motivation when playing on home soil. Houston, in particular, has been a special venue for him: he won the title in 2023 (defeating Tomás Martín Etcheverry) and finished runner-up in 2024 to Ben Shelton. This marks his third straight final in Houston, as he goes for his fourth career title.

The former World No. 10 defeated Adam Walton (7-5, 6-3), Alex Michelsen (7-5, 6-1), and the always-tough Brandon Nakashima (6-3, 7-6) in the semifinals. Tiafoe needed just three matches to reach the final and hasn’t dropped a set, a potential advantage given the physical toll on his opponent.

Against Nakashima, Tiafoe had to survive a flurry of breaks and nearly lost his grip on the match in the second set, but eventually closed it out in a tiebreak with quality shot-making to reach his third consecutive Houston final.

Brooksby has spent 13 hours and 31 minutes on court compared to Tiafoe’s 4 hours and 48 minutes, with half as many matches. On Houston’s clay, known for its long rallies, physical condition could be a deciding factor. Still, it’s Brooksby who leads the head-to-head 2-0 – both matches on hard courts and before his suspension.