Ben Shelton made it 2-for-2 in trophies at the U.S. Clay Court Championship after pairing with Andres Andrade to win the doubles title.
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Two visits to Houston, two nice, shiny trophies and two flying leaps into the River Oaks Country Club pool for Ben Shelton. The 2024 Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court singles champion added the 2026 doubles title to his résumé Sunday as he and Andres Andrade rallied from a set down to defeat the top-seeded team of Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
The former Florida Gator teammates, who also got to celebrate a national collegiate championship together in 2021, first partnered as professionals here in 2024 but weren’t able to advance beyond the quarterfinals that spring.
It’s a longstanding tradition for both the singles and doubles-team champions to doff their shirts and take the plunge following the on-court post-match presentations and interviews. Fortunately, given the mid-60s temperature and breezy conditions, the pool is heated.
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“Yeah,” Shelton said. “No way I’d have done it if it wasn’t.”
Shelton, who came to Houston as the ninth-ranked singles player and the top seed in that draw, is now 1-1 in ATP doubles finals, having lost his first in Washington in 2023 with Mackenzie McDonald. Andrade, who had advanced to his first ATP-level doubles final, became only the fifth man from Ecuador to win a doubles title during tennis’ Open Era.
“I didn’t do what I wanted to do in singles,” said Shelton, who was upset in the quarters by the unheralded Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante, “but now I’m 2-for-2 getting a title when I come to River Oaks. It’s really cool to get a title anywhere, anyhow on the ATP Tour. They’re few and far between. To turn it around and take the title in doubles with a good friend for many years is a very good ending. I’m super happy about this.”
The stakes were obviously much higher for Andrade, who’s only ranked 218th in singles and had lost in the second round of qualifying here. He and Shelton received a wild card into the doubles draw – obviously because of the American Shelton’s standing and nationality.
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“It feels amazing,” Andrade said. “I don’t think we expected it. But we both played great and we enjoyed it, which is what matters most. As soon as Benny agreed to play with me, I thought we had a chance.”
Luz and Matos, the ATP’s ninth-ranked doubles team, have been playing together since 2019 and were seeking their fourth title together. Their experience showed in the first set, but Shelton and Andrade adjusted as the match went on and Andrade wound up playing the hero’s role with a couple of perfectly timed poaches at the net to turn the tiebreaker in their favor.
“I didn’t want to lose a point with Benny at the back,” he said. “I felt like I had to make a move and thank God I did it at the right time. I executed. I think that was key.”
Observed Shelton, laughing, “Yeah, he took matters into his own hands.”
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Although Andrade has lived in the U.S. since he was 6 years old, he’s still proud of his roots. He and Alvaro Guillen Meza are the only players from Ecuador currently ranked in the top 1,000, although Andres Gomez did win the French Open in 1990 and Nícolas Lapentti once climbed to sixth in the singles ranking.
“A lot people back there are supporting me and they want to see me succeed, Andrade said. “It’s nice to (win) this for Ecuador.”