At 5 a.m. in California on the day of the Australian Open final, Alex Michelsen was awake because of jet lag following his own trip to Australia — he made the third round at the year’s first major.
The #NextGenATP American was able to catch the end of the memorable clash between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, in which Sinner rallied from two sets down to claim his first major trophy.
“The level he got in the fifth set of his first Grand Slam final, that was pretty epic,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com.
After defeating Tallon Griekspoor in three sets Tuesday, the 19-year-old Michelsen will play Sinner for the first time in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday.
“It'll be a lot of fun. I've got nothing to lose,” Michelsen said. “I’m going to go out there and try my best to swing free and have fun, and we'll see what happens.”
[ATP APP]The American has never practised with his Italian counterpart. “Maybe that'll help me a little bit. [He] has never seen my ball,” he said. “I'm sure I know a lot more about him than he does about me. So I think maybe that'll help me as well.”
The first time Michelsen heard of Sinner was during the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. The Italian, the lowest-ranked player in the field, lifted the trophy in Milan.
“He won Next Gen and I was like, 'Oh, this guy hits the absolute crap out of all’,” Michelsen said. “I was like, 'Okay,'. I'm sure he'll do the same thing against me, just hit the crap out of it.”
The No. 57 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is just two spots off his career-high mark. He has played two matches against Top 10 opponents, going 1-1, including a win against then-World No. 9 Alex de Minaur in Los Cabos.
But the American also knows he will face a difficult test against Sinner. Michelsen watches plenty of tennis on television and knows how well the Italian has performed this season, especially compared to early in his career.
“I don't think his game has changed that much. I think he's gotten a lot stronger and a lot faster and a lot fitter,” Michelsen said. “But for me, I don't think his game has changed that much. I think he's changed some things. His serve got better, and maybe his forehand got a little better, but the way he plays stayed the same.”
The home favourite’s clash with the top seed will take place on centre court. It is an opportunity Michelsen is looking forward to.
“I love it. I'm honestly happy either way,” Michelsen said. “You can put me Court 25 in the trenches, I'm happy. You put me on centre court, I'm even happier. So it'll be fun. Hopefully they'll root for me because I'm American.”
The teen explained that because this is the first Top 5 opponent Michelsen is facing, it stands out as the biggest match he has played so far early in his career.
“I played Zverev on Rod Laver when he was sixth in the world, and I'm playing the World No. 1,” Michelsen said. “I’ve never played anyone Top 5, so it'll be a new experience, that's for sure.”
The energetic Californian has enjoyed the support he has received throughout the North-American summer. When he broke through last season, “no one really knew who I was”. Michelsen is “really happy” that the fans have responded well to him in 2024.
The teen is happy to be making his debut in Cincinnati and is especially pleased that the event is staged in Mason. He prefers staying away from big cities.
The man he faces on Wednesday, Sinner, is a fellow Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF alumnus. In second place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Michelsen is trying to qualify for the second year in a row. Two former champions (Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz) are in the Top 3 of the PIF ATP Rankings today.
“Both those guys won [the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF]. It's very motivating. If I could win the tournament, put my name up with theirs, that would be great. But that's not easy to do, winning a tournament is never easy,” Michelsen said. “So we'll see, but I think just being a part of the Next Gen programme is really good for my confidence too.”
No matter the result of Michelsen’s showdown with Sinner, there is no doubt about the type of effort the American will give.
“I’m going to go out there and I'm going to compete my a** off every opportunity I get,” Michelsen said. “I’m never going to give up, and I pride myself on competing.”
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