Andres Andrade and Ben Shelton secured their first tour-level title together at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. The duo claimed victory in the US Clay doubles by defeating top-seeded Brazilians Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos after a comeback win in the deciding match tiebreaker.
Ben Shelton, ranked 9th in the ATP Rankings, faced a singles quarter-final loss but rebounded in doubles to clinch his inaugural ATP Tour doubles trophy. This win marked Shelton as the first American doubles champion in Houston since Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in 2016, with Shelton also having won the singles title in 2024.
Shelton’s achievement of winning both the singles and doubles titles in Houston this century places him in an elite group alongside Mardy Fish (2004, 2006) and Andy Roddick (2002). Additionally, this victory marked Andres Andrade’s first tour-level doubles crown, making him the first Ecuadorian to achieve this feat since Gonzalo Escobar in Estoril in 2024.
Andrade, aged 27 and currently at a career-high No. 218 in singles, not only became the first Ecuadorian US Clay title winner in 40 years since Andres Gomez in 1986 but also the fifth Ecuadorian man to secure an ATP doubles title in Open Era history. Luz and Matos, the Buenos Aires and Santiago champions, were aiming for their third title of 2026, which would have placed them among the few teams to claim three tour-level titles this season.
Following their success in Houston, Shelton and Andrade will resume their respective tour schedules. Shelton will head to Europe for tournaments in Munich, Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros, while Andrade will compete in the ITF and Challenger circuits in the United States, starting with the Sarasota Challenger.
