American tennis is again under the spotlight, but not for the right reasons. Former player Sam Querrey has openly questioned why top US stars are not playing enough clay tournaments in Europe. His comments came as Ben Shelton made a strong run at the BMW Open, showing that results are possible when players stay on the surface and compete regularly.At the same time, big names like Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul skipped key clay events like the Monte Carlo Masters. That decision has raised questions about preparation before the French Open. With very few Americans going deep in recent clay tournaments, the gap is becoming more visible this season.
Sam Querrey questions Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and others as Ben Shelton leads American clay push
Querrey did not hold back while sharing his thoughts. He pointed out that American players often miss smaller clay events, which could help them improve. He said, “The Americans never win on the European clay. For the most part, the top Americans just play Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, and maybe that week before Roland Garros. If they played Marrakesh, Kitzbuhel, Umag, and all these European 250s on clay, we would have a lot more titles on the European red clay.”His comments came after a tough stretch for American players on clay. At the Monte Carlo Masters, only Emilio Nava featured in the main draw from the US In Barcelona, no American made it past the round of 16. Meanwhile, Shelton stood out by reaching the later rounds at the Munich Open, also known as the BMW Open.Shelton himself gave a different view on the situation. He explained that the long clay season forces players to make careful choices. Speaking via thetennisgazette.com, he said, “One of the most important aspects of clay is being able to adapt week to week. You get completely different conditions in certain tournaments. Madrid is the opposite of Rome, Paris has its own unique way that it plays.”He added, “This is a long European swing for us, so mine was more about being here a couple weeks earlier and extending that trip than starting here in Munich. So yeah, we will see how this season goes and each year I think I figure out more what’s best for me.”Shelton entered Munich after a loss to Thiago Agustin Tirante in Houston but quickly found form again. He is now set to face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the BMW Open final, giving him a chance to prove that staying active on clay can pay off.
