By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Who says American men struggle on clay courts?
This year, on the quick-paced courts of high-altitude Madrid, our athletes are making waves and rewriting the record books.
With Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe joining Taylor Fritz and Brandon Nakashima in the round of 16, these four men have etched their names into ATP Masters 1000 history. This marks only the second time ever that four or more American players reached the round of 16 in a clay event, a feat last accomplished by five Americans at the 1990 Hamburg tournament.
Most American men in the Madrid R16 since 2003: Fritz, Nakashima, Paul, Tiafoe.
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) April 29, 2025
Looking back 35 years, we had legends like Andre Agassi, Jimmy Arias, Jay Berger, Jim Courier, and Aaron Krickstein.
Fritz, who made history last year by becoming the first American to enter the semifinals in Madrid since the event transitioned to clay in 2009, is set to face Casper Ruud in tonight’s quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Nakashima prepares to take on ninth-seeded Medvedev.
On Wednesday, Paul will be up against Jack Draper, while Tiafoe squares off against Matteo Arnaldi.
