Picture credit score: Rob Stone/@RobStoneTennis
4 former champions, 4 all-American duos and a handful of singles entries are included within the 16 doubles groups which have entered the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Males’s Clay Courtroom Championship.
The previous champions – John-Patrick Smith (2025), Fernando Romboli (2025), Santiago Gonzalez (2019) and John Friends (2013) – will every be teaming up with a distinct accomplice as they pursue a second US Clay title when the match returns to River Oaks Nation Membership March 30-April 5.
“That is an impressive discipline with gamers who haven’t solely US Clay success but in addition throughout the Tour,” mentioned Match Director Bronwyn Greer. “Maybe essentially the most thrilling side of doubles this 12 months is our determination to maneuver the championship match to Sunday afternoon. We actually look ahead to a improbable last Sunday to cap what ought to be one other terrific week of tennis at River Oaks.”
Smith prolonged the streak to 4 years in a row of an Australian profitable the US Clay doubles title when he claimed the 2025 trophy with Ramboli. Smith will compete this 12 months alongside Dutchman Sander Arends, a five-time ATP champion making his Houston debut.
Ramboli will pair up with Gonzalez, a US Clay finalist in 2025 (w/ Federico Agustin Gomez) and champion in 2019 (w/ Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi). Gonzalez has gained 25 ATP titles and was a Roland Garros finalist in 2017.
Friends gained his first profession ATP title at River Oaks in 2013 alongside Jamie Murray. He’s gone on to win 30 titles, together with the 2024 Olympic gold, the 2017 Australian Open and a pair of ATP Finals. He’s partnering with the winningest participant within the discipline, Jean-Julien Rojer, who owns greater than 500 match victories and 37 titles.
Former World No. 1 and US Olympic medalist Rajeev Ram can also be within the 500-win membership, and he owns 32 profession titles. He’s teaming up with 22-year-old Benjamin Kittay who reached the Delray Seashore last final month in his ATP debut
Singles high seed Ben Shelton has entered doubles and can compete alongside Andres Andrade, reuniting the Florida Gator duo that gained the NCAA crew title in 2021.
One 12 months after enjoying towards one another within the singles opening spherical, Learner Tien will crew up with Alex Michelsen, a two-time doubles finalist on the ATP 1000 degree. The childhood associates gained an ITF M15 title collectively in 2022.
One other crew that includes singles entrants is Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Thiago Agustin Tirante.
Rinky Hijikata, who simply reached the Indian Wells Spherical of 16 as a singles qualifier, will pair up with American Ryan Seggerman. Hijikata gained his house Grand Slam, the Australian Open, in 2023 and reached the Wimbledon last final 12 months.
This 12 months’s Australian Open finalist Marc Polmans will make his US Clay debut alongside fellow Aussie Matthew Romios.
Evan King, a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 2025, will play with American compatriot Reese Stalder.The sphere additionally consists of the Kazakhstani crew of 2021 Roland Garros finalist Andrey Golubev alongside Aleksandr Nedovyesov.
One other American duo Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow need to win their tenth ATP crown collectively and first on Texas soil. Each are former Texas faculty stars with Lammons competing at SMU and Withrow enjoying for Texas A&M.
The 2026 doubles discipline (listed in crew rank order)Alex Michelsen (USA) & Learner Tien (USA)Orlando Luz (Brazil) & Rafael Matos (Brazil)Sander Arends (Netherlands) & John-Patrick Smith (Australia)Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico) & Fernado Romboli (Brazil)Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Argentina) & Thiago Agustin Tirante (Argentina)Marcelo Demonliner (Brazil) & Robert Galloway (USA)Evan King (USA) & Reese Stadler (USA)Rinky Hijikata (Australia) & Ryan Seggerman (USA)Andrey Golubev (Kazakhstan) & Aleksandr Nedovyesov (Kazakhstan)Marc Polmans (Australia) & Matthew Romios (Australia)Diego Hidalgo (Ecuador) & Patrik Trhac (USA)Benjamin Kittay (USA) & Rajeev Ram (USA)John Friends (Australia) Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands)Arthur Reymond (France) & Luca Sanchez (France)[WC] Andres Andrade (Ecuador) & Ben Shelton (USA)[WC] Nathaniel Lammons (USA) & Jackson Withrow (USA)
The doubles schedule has been adjusted for 2026, with the championship match shifting to last Sunday. It should happen at midday on April 5.
