HOUSTON, December 1, 2022 (Press Release)
Last year’s finalists at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, champion Reilly Opelka and runner-up John Isner, will return April 1-9 for the 2023 ATP Tour event at River Oaks Country Club, the tournament announced today. Fans will again experience the booming serves from two of the tallest players in men’s professional tennis, with Opelka standing at 6-11 and Isner at 6-10. “John and Reilly have become stalwarts of this event, and our fans will be excited to see them back on the grounds at River Oaks,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “They are both tremendous champions who bring incredible power to the game.” Opelka returns for his sixth U.S. Clay event, while Isner, who will be marking 10 years since his title run in 2013, is returning for a record 13th year among active players and second in the Open Era behind Guillermo Vilas’ 14. Isner will be looking to add to his record 18 match wins among active players. In 2022, he served a tournament record 79 aces on his way to setting the all-time ATP Tour career aces record later in the year, ending the season with 13,990. Opelka served 50 aces in the 2022 event, good for ninth on the tournament record list. Opelka’s win in 2022 was the fourth title of his career, all of which have come on U.S. soil. He is tied for third-most titles among active American players. In addition to the title at River Oaks Country Club, he won the Dallas title that included winning the longest tie-break in ATP Tour history, 24-22, in a semifinal win over Isner, and reached a career-high ranking of No. 17. In 2022, Isner scored a win over two-time champion Andy Murray to reach the third round at Wimbledon and reached the quarterfinals at the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. During his career, Isner ended 12 straight seasons in the top 25 from 2010-21 and achieved a career-high No. 8 ranking after reaching the 2018 Wimbledon semifinals. He owns 16 ATP Tour titles, and became the oldest first-time ATP Masters 1000 singles champion as a 32-year-old at 2018 Miami. The River Oaks doubles finalist in 2011 (with Sam Querrey), Isner claimed a pair of doubles titles in 2022 to bring his career tally to eight. The Champs Pass – Finals Weekend package, which guarantees the same seat for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, along with Daily Tickets go on sale Thursday, Dec. 1. West Grandstand tickets are on sale now. To purchase or for more information, visit mensclaycourt.com/tickets.
