Houston 2026 - ATP 250 Preview
(30 March - 5 April) Houston plays unusually fast for clay — closer to hard court conditions. Big servers and Americans dominate, making it one of the circuit's most unique clay events.
The ATP 250 Houston tournament (FAYEZ SAROFIM & CO Open) is played on quick clay courts.
Speed Data
These are the stats of the last four years:
- 71.6% Points won on the First Serve
- 78.2% Service Holds
- 0.50 Aces/Game
- 0.20 TB/Set
These data show that Houston, alongside Gstaad, Madrid, Geneva and Kitzbühel, ranks among the fastest clay tournaments on the circuit. In this case, the reason is not altitude — as it is in the other tournaments — but the surface itself.
Past Winners
2025: Brooksby d. Tiafoe
2024: Shelton d. Tiafoe
2023: Tiafoe d. Etcheverry
2022: Opelka d. Isner
2019: Garin d. Ruud
Roddick has won this tournament 3 times and Steve Johnson, Agassi and Juan Monaco twice.
Tiafoe has played the Final in the last 3 editions.
Weather
This week in Houston should be warm, fairly humid, and a bit more unsettled from midweek onward. Monday and Tuesday look like the best days, with temperatures around 84 °F / 29 °C, winds near 10–20 mph (16–32 km/h), and humidity around 45–60% during the day. From Wednesday to Saturday, the risk of showers and thunderstorms increases. Temperatures should stay around 79–83 °F / 26–29 °C, with winds mostly around 10–20 mph (16–32 km/h) and humidity generally around 55–70%.
Player Statements
Denolly, 2025: "The clay here is fast. Nothing like Roland Garros."
Darderi, 2024: “It is my first time here in Houston. The conditions, I really like it. It is really fast during the day. I feel really good.”
Mmoh, 2024: “The courts specifically plays a little bit faster than most clay courts, which suits my game. I have a pretty big serve and like fast conditions. This is probably the fastest clay court in the world which suits me.”
Thompson, 2024: “It is tough conditions, windy and cold and it is pretty dark. Yeah, I was in my hotel most of the day. I thought it would be fast during the day, but it was pretty slow at night and cold. There is no sunlight getting into the court so it plays a lot slower. I'm happy with the way that I played.”
Summary
Although it is a tournament played on clay, the conditions are very fast. It 's even faster than many hard courts tournaments.
Tiafoe has played the last 3 finals, Andy Roddick has won here 3 times, Steve Johnson twice, and the 2022 final was played between Opelka and Isner, which indicates the speed of the courts. Also, Shelton lifted the title last year.
Playable and warm conditions at the start, with a real risk of interruptions mid-week. While no strong wind gusts are expected, this is always a factor in Houston — when speeds reach 25–30 km/h (15–19 mph), it can affect play.
Due to the fast conditions, American players tend to do it very well here, even though it is clay.
Draws
Here’s the links to the draws, that you can check it anytime to follow the latest updates and see which players advance through each round.
Main draw: https://www.protennislive.com/posting/2026/717/mds.pdf
Qualyfying: https://www.protennislive.com/posting/2026/717/qs.pdf
