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28-year-old becomes ninth American in Open Era to advance to major quarter-finals on all three surfaces
June 01, 2025
Tommy Paul defeats Alexei Popyrin in straight sets on Sunday in Paris.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Tommy Paul defeats Alexei Popyrin in straight sets on Sunday in Paris.
By Sam Jacot
Tommy Paul broke new ground on Sunday at Roland Garros, where he reached the quarter-finals at the clay-court major for the first time.

The American earned battling five-set wins against Marton Fucsovics and Karen Khachanov earlier this week but found the going easier against Alexei Popyrin, dispatching the Australian 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes.

"I'm enjoying it a lot," Paul said when asked about competing on clay. "It was nice to get a straight-sets win today, give the body a little rest. I mean, as much as I love the five-setters, I definitely like the three-setters a little bit better. I am just excited for more matches."

Paul has now reached the last eight at three of the four majors, advancing to the semi-finals at the Australian Open in 2023 and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2024. The 28-year-old is just the ninth American man in the Open Era and only active American to advance to Grand Slam quarter-finals on all three surfaces. He joins Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Vitas Gerulaitis, Brian Gottfried, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras.

Aiming to reach the last four in Paris, the 12th seed will next face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or countryman Ben Shelton. Paul trails Alcaraz 2-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and is tied at 2-2 with Shelton.

Paul saved 90 per cent (9/10) of the break points he faced against Popyrin, stuck 27 winners to the Australian's 18 and committed 15 fewer unforced errors (22-37) than the World No. 25, according to Infosys Stats.

Paul is now 12-3 on clay this season, having reached the semi-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome last month. The four-time tour-level titlist is currently No. 8 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Popyrin had not dropped a set en route to reaching the fourth round in the French capital for the first time. The 25-year-old is up four spots to No. 21 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Did You Know?
Paul is the first American man to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros since Agassi in 2003.

Agassi was the last American man to advance to the last eight in Paris in 2003
June 02, 2025
Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe have both reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Getty Images
Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe have both reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
By Sam Jacot
American tennis fans had reason to cheer on Sunday when Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe made history at Roland Garros, ending a 22-year wait for American male presence in the Roland Garros quarter-finals.

Not since Andre Agassi’s run in 2003 had an American man broken through to the last eight on Parisian clay. Over the years, Andy Roddick (2009), Taylor Fritz (2024) and Ben Shelton (2025), are among the American stars to have reached the fourth round but not gone anything further.

But Paul and Tiafoe rewrote that narrative in emphatic style, each recording straight-sets wins against Alexei Popyrin, and Daniel Altmaier, respectively. Tiafoe is the first American since Agassi in 1995 to reach the last eight in Paris without dropping a set.

"I feel I'm playing great," Tiafoe said after this fourth-round win. "I feel in a great place. I'm just happy being out there. I'm loving the competing and playing super aggressive. Making the game simple. Just give them what the game gives me and try to play the right way, the way I know how, at my best, and living and dying with the results. It's going my way right now."

The last time two American men had reached the quarter-finals in Paris was in 1996, when Pete Sampras and Jim Courier met at that stage.

Paul’s achievement adds another layer of history. The 28-year-old is also just the ninth American man in the Open Era to reach Grand Slam quarter-finals on all three surfaces. He joined Agassi, Michael Chang, Jimmy Connors, Courier, Vitas Gerulaitis, Brian Gottfried, John McEnroe and Sampras.

The 28-year-old reached the semi-finals on hard courts at the Australian Open in 2023 and the quarter-finals on grass at Wimbledon in 2024.

Paul and Tiafoe will continue their respective quests of becoming the first American champion since Agassi in 1999 when they take to court on Tuesday. Paul meets defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who leads the No. 12 in the PIF ATP Rankings 4-2 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Tiafoe takes on Italian Lorenzo Musetti.