US Clay Court Championship: Predicting All-American Semifinal Saturday

Very few things are certain in life or sports, but we know there will be an all-American US Clay Court Championship final and an American champion crowned on Sunday.

Let’s not get too far ahead because there is an excellent lineup of semifinal Saturday matches.

1. Tommy Paul vs. Jenson Brooksby 

Jenson Brooksby has never beaten Tommy Paul in three previous meetings, with the most recent at this year’s Dallas Open.  Each of those matches was on an indoor hard court.

Their Dallas Open match went three sets. Paul was forced to come from behind after losing the first set tiebreaker.

Brooksby was ranked World No. 33 in 2022, and with suspension and injury, was out of tennis for most of 2023 and 2024.  His current ranking is 507th, but the comeback is underway.

2. Brandon Nakashima vs. Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe, the 2023 US Clay Court Championship winner, has defeated Brandon Nakashima four out of five times from 2021 to 2024.  All of their meetings were on outdoor hard courts.

Frances Tiafoe fights through slow, soggy conditions in Houston to defeat Alex Michelsen and pick up back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2024 US Open #USClay 🎾 | @mensclaycourt pic.twitter.com/Wg1eNDEQ4Y

— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) April 5, 2025

Tiafoe, ranked 17th, is regaining his form at this tournament.  Nakashima is one of the most under-the-radar American players.  He is ranked 33rd and at 23, is frequently overlooked for the younger up-and-coming American stars: Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen, who are 19 and 20, respectively.

This point had EVERYTHING 😱@b_nakashima #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/zH8vs6yPZC

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 23, 2025

Final Prediction: Tommy Paul vs. Frances Tiafoe

The tournament’s top two seeds, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe, are the seasoned veterans of the four Americans featured in the US Clay Court Championship semifinals.  They should win their Saturday matches and meet on Sunday.

The final is tough to predict. Tiafoe has won in Houston, and Paul has been playing better tennis recently.

Paul is 15-5 in 2025 and would be the odds-on favorite to lift his maiden US Clay Court Championship trophy on Sunday if all goes as expected.

Only two players have already won 15+ ATP Tour matches in 2025 without losing more than 5

• 🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz (15-4)
• 🇺🇸 Tommy Paul (15-5) pic.twitter.com/836Rc0JMVB

— Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) April 4, 2025

Watch the US Clay Court Championship semifinals on the Tennis Channel app on Saturday afternoon beginning at 2 PM EDT.