Ben Shelton, the 2024 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship winner, will return to River Oaks Country Club for the 2026 tournament, which will be held March 28-April 5.
The announcement comes as Shelton makes his debut at the ATP Tour Finals in Turin on Sunday.
“We are thrilled Ben will be coming back to River Oaks where the fans really took to him during his title run a few years ago,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “Ben has had yet another strong season, and we are happy he has qualified for the ATP Finals. It is exciting to be able to welcome back a former champion and Top 10 American as we kick off our countdown to spring.”
Shelton will be ranked a career high No. 5 on the ATP Tour Monday following a season in which he claimed the biggest title of his career, winning the Masters 1000 in Toronto. He was also finalist on clay at the tournament in Munich while winning at least 40 matches for the second straight season.
In 2025, he registered his best career result at a pair of Majors, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He had previously been a semifinalist at the US Open in 2023.
The 23-year-old Shelton owns three career titles and has contested five finals since turning pro midway through the 2022 season. His ATP success comes after a he won the 2021 team and 2022 singles NCAA titles while playing at the University of Florida.
His father, Bryan, was his coach at UF, and is now coaching him on Tour. Bryan was a two-time title winner on the ATP Tour and was the River Oaks International champion in 1992.
US Clay will begin with qualifying on March 28 and 29, which will include matches in Stadium Court for the first time. Main draw action begins March 30, and continues until the singles and doubles finals are held on Sunday, April 5.
