by Hanlon Walsh
Four players, including three Americans, have qualified into the main draw following Sunday wins at River Oaks. The lone non-American winner, Frenchman Corentin Denolly, has reached an ATP main draw for the first time in his career.
Let’s meet the four final entrants into the 28-player field:
Jenson Brooksby
After taking out the top seed on Saturday, 24-year-old Jenson Brooksby continued his 2025 resurgence with a straight-set victory over fellow American, Patrick Maloney, 6-4, 6-2. With the win, he advances to his second US Clay main draw appearance and first in three years. A former top 35 standout and three-time ATP finalist, Brooksby is appreciating every step of the way along his comeback journey with a new perspective.
“This was the best crowd I’ve seen for an ATP 250 qualifying event," said Brooksby. It’s been so nice to have such high energy from the fans this early in the tournament. My main goal this year is having a fully healthy season and not missing any tournaments due to injuries or retirements. I’m really happy to be back in a main draw and continue my solid momentum from Indian Wells."
Mitchell Krueger
For Dallas resident Mitchell Krueger, the path to the main draw wasn’t straight or narrow. The 31-year-old American advanced through back-to-back retirements due to opponent injuries. On Sunday, No. 2 Krueger trailed No. 8 Patrick Zahraj 5-7, 3-1 before Zahraj was forced to retire.
“It was a very roundabout way to get into the main draw with two straight set wins through retirements,” said Krueger. “It’s unfortunate for my opponents, but I’m glad to get through the main draw however I can given the difficult humid conditions we’ve had.”
Krueger, ranked No. 141, is close to breaking his career-high singles ranking of No. 133 after back-to-back second round grand slam performances at the 2024 US Open and 2025 Australian Open. According to Krueger, sometimes good results come down to simply peaking at the right time.
“Last year was the most consistent year I’ve had week-in, week out, at both the Challengers and slams. I really cashed in on peaking at the bigger events I played and won a few Challengers along the way that helped me steadily climb throughout the year.”
Colton Smith
Colton Smith’s path to the ATP Tour this year has involved a delicate juggling act between college and the pros. While his Arizona teammates are winning Big 12 conference matches, Smith is winning at the pro level.
The 22-year-old college senior advanced to his second ATP main draw appearance with a straight set qualifying win over No. 4 Liam Draxl 6-4, 6-4. Last month, he earned first ATP main draw result at Indian Wells, coming through qualifying to advance to the second round, and also won his first ATP Challenger title in Cleveland. He has picked up three top 100 wins along the way and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
“The last few months have been life changing for sure,” said Smith. “People are starting to recognize me out and about. Obviously, I’d like to be there with the team competing as much as possible, but I’ve had a lot of great opportunities come up these past few months and am happy that I’ve been able to take full advantage.”
Corentin Denolly
Last but not least, Frenchman Corentin Denolly completed a major career milestone by notching his first ATP Tour main draw appearance. The 27-year-old, ranked 327th, outlasted fellow countryman Adrian Mannarino in a near three-hour affair on Court 3, edging the tricky veteran 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(5).
On the heels of his breakthrough win, Denolly acknowledged how this result should be a game-changer for his confidence moving forward ahead of the long and grueling clay season.
“It was a tough win today against Adrian, both because of his unique game and the humid conditions,” said Denolly. “You have to work really hard on the court against him because he plays a game that makes most players uncomfortable. The level is actually very similar between the Challengers and ATP Tour, sometimes you just need the extra confidence from a big result like this to move forward.”
All four qualifiers will compete in the singles main draw taking place on Mon. March 31 and Tues. April 1. First round matches begin on Monday at 2 p.m. and Tuesday at noon.
