Ben Shelton and Andres Andrade rally to clinch Houston crown | ATP Tour

Doubles

Shelton & Andrade rally to clinch Houston crown

Duo wins maiden ATP Tour title together

April 05, 2026

Andres Andrade and Ben Shelton capped a dream run at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship on Sunday when they won their first tour-level title together.

The former University of Florida teammates rallied to defeat top seeds Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 in the championship match.

“I want to thank my partner Andy for putting up with me and playing,” Shelton said. “I’d say we’re a lot better at doubles together now than we were when we got kicked off the lineup while playing together at the University of Florida.”

Andrade and Shelton squandered all five break points they earned in the opening set of Sunday’s final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. However, the pair regained their composure in the second set to force a Match Tie-break, ultimately sealing victory in one hour and 23 minutes.

Shelton, currently No. 9 in the PIF ATP Rankings, lost to Thiago Agustin Tirante in the singles quarter-final, but continued battling in doubles to claim his first ATP Tour doubles trophy. With the triumph, the 23-year-old became the first American doubles champion in Houston since Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in 2016. Shelton also won the singles title in 2024.

It is also a first tour-level doubles crown for Andrade. With the Houston trophy, the 27-year-old became the first Ecuadorian to win a tour-level doubles title since Gonzalo Escobar in Estoril in 2024.

“Congrats to Orlando and Rafa for a great week,” Andrade said. “You guys are tough, all the best.”

Luz and Matos, the Buenos Aires and Santiago champions, were seeking their third title of 2026. They would have tied Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten and Theo Arribage/Albano Olivetti as the only teams to claim three tour-level titles this season had they won. The Brazilians hold a 20-7 record this season, according to the ATP Infosys Win/Loss Index.