American Rising Stars Added to Field at US Clay Courts in Houston
HOUSTON (February 7, 2025) – A pair of American rising stars and a very familiar Australian are the latest players to commit to the 2025 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
The USA’s Learner Tien, 19, and Brandon Nakashima, 23, will join the field alongside two-time US Clay quarterfinalist Jordan Thompson for the only ATP Tour clay court tournament in North America, which will be held March 29-April 6 at River Oaks Country Club.
Thompson and Nakashima, ranked No. 28 and No. 42, respectively, join No. 9 Tommy Paul, No. 18 Frances Tiafoe, No. 27 Alejandro Tabilo, No. 36 Alex Michelsen, and No. 40 Tomas Martin Etcheverry to round out seven Top 50 players in the 2025 field, while the teenaged Tien is the youngest American in the ATP Top 100.
“It’s exciting to introduce a mix of established talent and rising stars with Jordan, Brandon and Learner, who strengthen the quality of our 2025 field,” Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer said. “With 50 days until first ball, the excitement is growing by the minute, and having this kind of depth on our entry list is only adding to it. We can’t wait for tournament week.”
Tien rose into the Top 100 last month with a headline-making run at the Australian Open, qualifying for the main draw and winning six consecutive matches to reach the Round of 16. The success at the year’s first Major was highlighted by a five-set, late night win over No. 5 Daniil Medvedev.
A month earlier, Tien finished runner-up at the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals, the ATP’s season finale for the year’s best 20-and-under talent. A California native who turned pro in 2023, Tien posted a dominant 2024 season on the ATP Challenger and ITF circuits. Throughout the year, he compiled a 55-10 record that included a 28-match win streak and seven titles. He was also a former junior grand slam finalist at the 2023 Australian Open and US Open.
Nakashima enters Houston on the heels of a strong season in 2024. After starting the year ranked No. 134, the 23-year-old American climbed nearly 100 spots to peak at a career-high No. 35 following a Round of 16 finish at the US Open. His year also included a pair of semifinal finishes as well as a US Clay quarterfinal.
In 2022, Nakashima cracked the top 50 in a season that saw him win his first ATP title in his hometown of San Diego while he also added the title at the ATP Next Gen Finals. In 2021, he was runner-up in Los Cabos and Atlanta, becoming the youngest American to reach multiple ATP finals in a season since Andy Roddick in 2002. Before turning pro, Nakashima was named ACC Freshman of the Year while playing at the University of Virginia.
Australia’s Thompson is enjoying a career-best stretch, proving that late bloomers can thrive in the current ATP Tour era. The 30-year-old won his first ATP singles title in 2024 at Los Cabos and reached a career-high ranking of No. 26. His best Grand Slam singles result came at the 2024 US Open, where he advanced to the Round of 16. A two-time US Clay quarterfinalist, he has reached three ATP finals—twice on grass at ‘s-Hertogenbosch (2019, 2023) and once on hard courts in Atlanta (2024).
Thompson also had a breakout doubles season in 2024. The winner of back-to-back US Clay doubles titles, he took home a tour-best five trophies last year, including the US Open, while also reaching the Wimbledon final.
These three players join a River Oaks field that already includes a pair of past US Clay champions – Tiafoe and Reilly Opelka. Nakashima and Tien bring the total of Americans entered into the event to six, led by Paul, who broke into the Top 10 last month following a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open.
The 2025 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship will be the 15th edition of the century-old tournament to be held at River Oaks Country Club.
