Match Report
Paul saves 3 championship points to win first ATP Tour clay title in Houston
American outlasts Burruchaga in championship match
April 06, 2026
US Clay
Tommy Paul celebrates after clinching his first title of the season Sunday in Houston.
By ATP Staff
Tommy Paul was as close to defeat as possible Sunday in Houston, but refused to give in.
The American saved three championship points to outlast Argentine Roman Andres Burruchaga 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship final to claim his fifth ATP Tour title and first on clay.
“Roman, it was an amazing week,” Paul said to Burruchaga during the trophy presentation. “Today’s level was seriously great, great level.
“You’re playing amazing tennis, and it is only going to get better.”
In their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head series clash, Burruchaga clinched an early break in the third set, then held three championship points on Paul’s serve, leading 5-3. But the American saved all three, benefitting from two errors before hitting a volley winner.
The fourth seed then reeled off three consecutive games to seal the thriller. Paul finished having crucially saved 9 of the 12 break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Watch Paul’s Championship Point Saves:
Paul ensured a fifth consecutive American champion in Houston with his two-hour, 40-minute triumph. The home favourite followed Reilly Opelka (2022), Frances Tiafoe (2023), Ben Shelton (2024) and Jenson Brooksby (2025). With the win, the 28-year-old Paul became the oldest Houston champion since a 32-year-old Juan Monaco in 2016.
Paul suffered a heartbreaking quarter-final defeat to Arthur Fils at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, where the American let slip four match points to lose to the Frenchman. But the former No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has this week bounced back with a title in Houston.
In addition to his Houston triumph, Paul reached the Delray Beach final in February. He is now in eighth place in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.
Burruchaga was chasing his first tour-level title and was aiming to become the fourth first-time champion this season. The Argentine stormed through the draw in Houston, upsetting fifth seed Brandon Nakashima in the second round and third seed Learner Tien in the quarter-finals and dropped only two games in a commanding semi-final win against Thiago Agustin Tirante.
With his run to the championship match, Burruchaga has risen 15 places to No. 62 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
“Congratulations to Tommy, well deserved, it was a really great final,” Burruchaga said. “I am really proud of myself for the week that I did. I am going to try again, every week we have opportunities.”
Did You Know?
Paul earned the first ATP Tour main draw of his career in Houston in 2016, when he defeated Paolo Lorenzi as an 18-year-old.
