Alex Michelsen arrived at the US Open as an unseeded 22 year old and has advanced to the quarterfinals without losing a set in four matches.
He opened with a win over Federico Cina, then defeated No. 16 Brandon Nakashima in straight sets and followed with victories over Daniel Merida and No. 27 Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Matches have been notable for a powerful serve and an aggressive two handed backhand. He produced 44 winners in his fourth round win over Etcheverry, a tally that underlined his attacking form.
Michelsen will face fellow American and No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. He has lost the only two previous meetings with Tiafoe, and the winner will move on to meet the victor of the match between No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 8 Ben Shelton in the semifinals.
Rankings Prize Money And Background
Michelsen is ranked No. 46 on the ATP Tour. A run to the semifinals would vault him into the top 30 and secure a career high ranking.
He has earned just over $1 million in prize money this year, and his quarterfinal appearance will add $780,000 to his season total.
Born and raised in Aliso Viejo California, Michelsen graduated from Laurel Springs School. He signed a letter of intent with the University of Georgia men's tennis program as the top ranked American born player in 2023 but turned professional that same year instead of enrolling.
As an amateur he won the 2022 Wimbledon boys doubles title and reached the boys final at the 2022 Australian Open. He made his Grand Slam doubles debut at the US Open in 2022 and lost in the first round. He later received a wild card for his Grand Slam singles debut at the US Open in 2023. Prior to this run his best major singles performance was a fourth round appearance at the Australian Open.
