Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul and Opelka can shine on Europe's red clay

At the just-completed Sardegna Open in Italy, Taylor Fritz further dispelled any notions that his powerful all-court game would be disrupted on the slow red clay as he advanced to the semifinals, where the eventual champion Lorenzo Sonego stopped him in three sets.

Over the course of their burgeoning careers, Fritz and his compatriots Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul have made their marks abroad on the slippery surface. While neither of the four has won a senior-level title on the red clay, their past results and continued progress shows that might be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Here’s a look at some of their feats over the years.

On the Grind

After a first-round loss at the 2019 US Men’s Clay-Court Championships, Fritz went to Europe and played—and played and played—seven straight tournaments on the dirt. In some of those, he had to battle through the qualifying rounds to make the main draw and by the time the French Open rolled around, he picked up wins over Grigor Dimitrov, Diego Schwartzman and Roberto Bautista-Agut, among others. All that extra play paid off as he won his first career title on grass before Wimbledon and reached two finals during the summer hard-court swing.

Strictly Business

The only player among this particular group to reach an ATP Tour final on European clay, Tiafoe—the 2018 runner-up in Estoril, Portugal—has had some impressive results on the surface at the senior and Challenger levels. Shortly after making a run to the fourth round at the US Open last year, the American met expectations as the top seed at the Challenger event in Parma, Italy, and claimed the title. Among his defeated opponents were Lorenzo Musetti, Federico Delbonis and Salvatore Caruso.

Like Fine Wine

Back in 2018, Opelka snapped a two-year title drought with his second Challenger victory in Bordeaux, France. In the semifinals, the then-20-year-old beat former French Open semifinalist Ernests Gulbis in straight sets before rallying to top Gregoire Barrere in three in the championship match. His win at one of the game’s most prestigious tournaments at that level jump-started his career: By the end of the season, he won at two more Challengers, then in early 2019, captured his first title on the main tour.

Parisian Splendor

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Seeded 13th at the 2015 French Open boys’ tournament, Paul played near-flawless tennis, winning his first five matches in straight sets, including a semifinal triumph over his compatriot, Michael Mmoh. In the championship match, Paul faced Fritz—marking the first time two boys from the US had reached the final—and defeated his friend in three sets. Paul became the second American boy to win the title during the decade after Bjorn Fratangelo pulled off the feat in 2011. Battling injuries for the first few years of his senior career, Paul hasn’t been able to tackle the European clay full on, but did reach the quarterfinals in doubles at Roland Garros last year with Nicholas Monroe.