Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda led the American contingent at the recent Monte Carlo Masters, but neither progressed beyond the second round. However, they will be joined by Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe for the Madrid Open 2024, and the quartet has also confirmed their participation in the Geneva Open ATP 250 event.
Shelton last played on clay at the Houston Open 2024, where he emerged victorious after defeating Tiafoe in the final. Tiafoe’s most recent clay-court appearance was also in Houston. Fritz suffered a setback in the final of the BMW Open 2024 in Munich, losing to Jan-Lennard Struff.
Korda is targeting strong performances in Madrid and Geneva to prepare for the French Open. The Geneva Open, scheduled a week before the French Open 2024, presents a valuable opportunity for the Americans, as several top-ranked players have opted out of the Swiss tournament.
World No. 6 Casper Ruud will be the highest-seeded player in Geneva, followed by Fritz, Shelton, and Tommy Paul as the second, third, and fourth seeds, respectively. Other Americans in the tournament include Christopher Eubanks and Marcos Giron.
Despite their previous struggles on clay, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton are strategically selecting their tournaments. Shelton’s victory in Houston was significant, as he defeated Tiafoe, Zizou Berges, Brandon Nakashima, and Tomas Martin Etcheverry en route to the title.
Fritz, after a disappointing first-round exit at the Monte Carlo Masters 2024, rallied to reach the final of the BMW Open 2024, overcoming A Mora Canas, Jack Draper, and Cristian Garin. Although he ultimately lost to Struff, Fritz gained valuable court time to build momentum for upcoming tournaments.
While Shelton and Fritz may make significant progress in Geneva, they face a formidable challenge in Casper Ruud, who has been in exceptional form on clay. The Norwegian reached the semifinals of the Estoril Open 2024, the final of the Monte Carlo Masters 2024, and won the Barcelona Open 2024. Ruud emerges as the clear favorite to secure his third Geneva Open title.
