Alex Michelsen news
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The gist
Alex Michelsen reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2026 US Open, then lost to.
The 22-year-old American's run lifted him toward a career-high ranking and made him a.
Background
Michelsen, a 22-year-old from Aliso Viejo, California, was unseeded at the 2026 US Open and had never gone past the fourth round of a major before. He arrived with modest summer hard-court form, having played Challenger-level events after a first-round loss at Wimbledon. At Flushing Meadows he won his first four matches in straight sets, including a second-round win over No. 16 seed Brandon Nakashima, to become the first American man into the quarterfinals. That set up an all-American matchup with No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe.
How it unfolded
- Sep 6, 2026Michelsen beats Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round to reach his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal, without dropping a set in the tournament.
- Sep 8, 2026In the quarterfinal on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Michelsen leads Tiafoe by two sets and 5-3 before Tiafoe rallies to win 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6) in four hours and 38 minutes.
- Sep 8, 2026After the final ball, Tiafoe jogs to the net to embrace a tearful Michelsen; the moment draws wide attention.
- Sep 9, 2026Michelsen says he got "a little tight at 5-4 in the third" but is keeping his head high after his first major quarterfinal.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- His serve and big-ball baseline game are widely praised, but he concedes he is far from a finished product in moving his 6-foot-4 frame around the court.
- Michelsen
- He said he was a little surprised by the run given his form coming in, but always felt it would come after years of work.
- Tiafoe
- Tiafoe said he slowly found his rhythm, snuck out the third set and got better and better.