Why American men struggle on clay -- and what they...
Key takeaways
- He had never even practiced on the surface, and now he was playing in the junior tournament at the 2005 French Open.
- He was 22 when he first played a competitive match on the red clay.
- "I knew it was going to be a tough ask, I'll put it that way," Eubanks told ESPN this month.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Ben Shelton won the 500-level title in Munich in April -- the biggest title for the American men on clay since 2002. Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for BMWD'Arcy Maine Multiple Authors May 26, 2026, 04:13 PM ETEmail Print Open Extended Reactions Sam Querrey was 17 years old when he first set foot on the red clay.
He had never even practiced on the surface, and now he was playing in the junior tournament at the 2005 French Open. He didn't know what to expect, but knew he would have to figure it out fast on the most famous clay courts in the world.
Chris Eubanks was even older. He was 22 when he first played a competitive match on the red clay. He had surprised himself by making the qualifying draw at Roland Garros in 2018 -- and was left without much time for preparation.