Dallas Draw Ignites American Rivalries

The Nexo Dallas Open draw landed on Saturday, mapping out an ATP 500 event thick with American intrigue. A rematch of the Australian Open showdown between Sebastian Korda and Michael Zheng grabs immediate attention, pulling those Melbourne tensions into Dallas‘s quicker indoor bounce. The winner draws eighth seed Frances Tiafoe next, where explosive returns could turn the second round into a baseline war of attrition.

Top Quarter Bursts with Familiar Fire

All this simmers in top seed Taylor Fritz‘s quarter, where the 28-year-old opens against countryman Marcos Giron. Fritz’s heavy topspin forehands will need to carve crosscourt angles early, countering Giron’s flat backhand slices that skid low on these courts. The air in Dallas already hums with that post-AO edge, players shaking off the grind while crowds lean in for the first cracks of racquet on ball.

That Korda-Zheng winner facing Tiafoe adds psychological layers, Tiafoe’s athletic bursts forcing rushed inside-in shots under the arena lights. Meanwhile, fifth seed Tommy Paul, the 2024 champion, collides with Jenson Brooksby in another all-American clash. Paul’s drop-shot variety meets Brooksby’s unorthodox spins, both eyeing a quarterfinal against Fritz where serve holds become survival tests.

Shelton’s Half Demands Serve Precision

Second seed Ben Shelton holds the bottom half, starting with Gabriel Diallo in a matchup of big serves and net approaches. Shelton’s lefty boom sets up inside-out forehands, but Diallo’s height invites volley pressure that could disrupt his rhythm if returns land deep. A potential second-rounder against Adrian Mannarino, fresh from Montpellier, brings flat-hitting threats, Mannarino’s underspin backhands slicing through Shelton’s topspin loops.

Third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina eases in against a qualifier down here, his whippy groundstrokes building steam for down-the-line winners. Fourth seed Flavio Cobolli gets similar breathing room in Fritz’s top half, though his aggressive 1–2 patterns must adapt to qualifiers’ wild cards. The field’s energy builds as these seeds navigate the unknown, the crowd’s murmurs rising with each point’s tempo.

Seeds and Veterans Fuel Upset Potential

Rounding out the top eight, sixth seed Learner Tien takes on Marin Cilic, youthful speed clashing with the veteran’s baseline depth. Seventh seed Denis Shapovalov, a former champ, brings flat power hungry for consistency. Elsewhere, Grigor Dimitrov meets Alex Michelsen, finesse one-handed backhands drawing raw power forward too soon.

The Nexo Dallas Open spotlights three past winners—Shapovalov returning as titlist, Paul from 2024, and Reilly Opelka from 2022—each chasing groove on courts that reward bold returns and mental resets. As the hard-court swing accelerates into 2026, this draw’s American core tests adjustments in spin and positioning, with upsets poised to echo through rankings and set aggressive tones for the majors ahead. The intimacy of indoor play amplifies every grunt and grip change, turning Dallas into a launchpad where early wins forge unbreakable confidence.