Tommy Paul and Jenson Brooksby will clash for the second consecutive year in the first round of the Dallas Open when they meet again on Wednesday.
Paul prevailed in their meeting with Dallas 12 months ago, winning 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4. The 24th-ranked American eventually reached the semifinals (losing to eventual champion Denis Shapovalov) after taking the title in 2024 (defeating Ben Shelton in the semifinals and Marcos Giron in the final).
There is no reason why Paul cannot achieve more success in this tournament. The 28-year-old has recovered from all sorts of injury problems in 2025 and quickly advanced to the Adelaide semis and the fourth round of the Australian Open (lost by former champion Carlos Alcaraz). He made a quick switch following Team USA’s successful Davis Cup performance on the red clay of Hungary this past weekend, but it shouldn’t matter. Paul is such a good all-around player that he can adapt quickly in transition.
Brooksby stormed out of the gates in 2026, falling in straight sets to Sebastian Baez in the second round of Auckland and straight sets to Alexander Bublik in the first round of the Aussie Open. Look for Paul to take care of business as usual from last season.
Pick: Paul at 2
