Alex Michelsen has quietly worked his way into his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, without dropping a set mind you. And if the 22-year-old Southern Californian has his way, he’ll remain under the radar for a little while longer.
Michelsen’s sneaky good run continued on Sunday in Flushing Meadows as he defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to reach the last eight at the US Open, joining three other American men in the quarterfinals.
If you’re scoring at home, the four Americans in the quarterfinals is the most the nation has produced at any Slam since 1995.
“I love being under the radar. It’s great,” Michelsen said. “I think I’ve been pretty under the radar.”
Few had Michelsen pegged for this kind of success when he was growing up in Southern California. In fact, he says becoming a professional tennis player wasn’t even seriously discussed until he was 16.
“No one ever really told me I could be professional until I was 16 years old,” Michelsen said. “Never talked about in my house. No coaches brought it up to me. No one ever brought it up. It was never really an idea for me.”
Eventually, coach Jay Leavitt saw something in him. During one of their 9 a.m. practices, Leavitt told Michelsen he believed he could reach the Top 100.
“I was, like, ‘Nah.’ He was, like, ‘I think you could,’” Michelsen recalled. “He was the first one to tell me. He ended up being right.”
Michelsen admits even he didn’t necessarily see this particular breakthrough coming. His results leading into New York hadn’t been especially encouraging, but behind the scenes, the work never stopped.
“I’m a little bit surprised just because I feel like my run-up form wasn’t super good coming into this tournament,” he said. “And I say no, because I have been working my ass off for, I don’t know how many years, playing this sport.
“I’m a little bit surprised that it came like this, but at the same time, I always had a feeling it would come.”
Michelsen will face Frances Tiafoe in an all-American quarterfinal at the US Open, a tournament where Tiafoe has repeatedly produced shis best tennis.
“I think Frances is a top-5 player at the US Open,” Michelsen said. “Always playing good here.”
The respect is mutual.
“Alex is a hell of a player,” Tiafoe said. “He’s young. He’s going to be juiced up. We’ve played a few times. We have a good relationship. We’re always laughing and joking.”
For years, Michelsen has been comfortable progressing without much fanfare. At the 2026 US Open, it appears that his days of flying under the radar are numbered.
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