US Clay Finalist Casper Ruud Joins 2020 River Oaks Field for April 4-12 Tournament

HOUSTON – Casper Ruud, the 2019 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship singles runner-up, has committed to play the 2020 tournament April 4-12 at River Oaks Country Club.

The announcement comes as Ruud is taking part in the Next Gen ATP Finals, an event featuring the Tour’s top-ranked 21-and-under players in Milan. Ruud, 20, will participate in that event this week alongside fellow 2020 US Clay commitment Frances Tiafoe.

“Casper won a lot of fans as he battled to our final last year,” said Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer. “He is part of a great group of rising stars on the ATP Tour and we are very excited to welcome him back to River Oaks in April.”

Ruud owns a career-best 22 match wins this season, 19 of which have come in clay. In addition to reaching the River Oaks final, his first at an ATP event, he also reached the semifinals in Kitzbuhel and Sao Paulo to go with quarterfinals in Rio and St. Petersburg.

He is coached by his father, Christian, who won the River Oaks International title in 1996.

“I’m very much looking forward to coming back to Houston next spring,” Ruud said. “Houston is one of my favorite places to play – I made my first ever ATP final there this year, it is played on clay which I love, and it has a special connection to my family as my father won the title back in 1996.”

Ruud joins 21-year-old Tiafoe and two-time US Clay finalist Sam Querrey in committing to the 2020 tournament. Additional commitments will be announced in the coming weeks, with the initial entry list for the 28-player field due to be released at the end of February.

Full week ticket packages are available now, while single session and the popular Champ Pass which includes the final three days of the tournament, will go on sale Dec. 1. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit mensclaycourt.com/tickets.

The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, held at River Oaks Country Club, is an ATP Tour 250 tournament that annually benefits the National Junior Tennis & Learning programs of the Houston Tennis Association.