Alex Michelsen is into the Canadian Open quarter-finals for the first time in his career, having beaten fellow American Learner Tien to earn his spot.
Despite his youth, it really does feel like the 20-year-old has been around forever. This is a testament to his relentless presence on the tour, tackling the sport’s toughest challenges.
And yet, this marks just his second-ever appearance at this particular Masters 1000 event, setting himself a high bar, given his performances over the last few days.
However, last night’s was perhaps the best yet, brushing aside an up-and-coming American talent in two straightforward sets.
Alex Michelsen reacts to beating Learner Tien at the Canadian Open
Having already dumped out Lorenzo Musetti too in a gritty, hard-fought slog, Michelsen is proving that he can both dig deep to grind out a win as well as dominate his opponents at the moment.
His adaptability deserves credit, as does his ability to remain staunch in the face of competition against someone he calls a friend.
In fact, he would expand upon his relationship with Tien in the post-match press conference, admitting: “It feels really good, it’s uncharted territory from this point on.
“We’re very close friends, we’ve been texting and sending each other memes as normal… We’ve grown a lot together: From playing not so good to the round of 16 at a Masters together, it’s super special.
“He was going after my forehand and I was going after his. The speed of the court was very fast, there were a lot of shanks, a lot of net cords. I hit my forehand super well today and I knew that if I didn’t, I would be in trouble”
Michelsen will now face Karen Khachanov for a place in the Canadian Open semi-finals.
Alex Michelsen is quietly thriving in 2025
This has been an outstanding year for the young American, who is cementing his spot as a mainstay not just on the tour, but at the latter stages of elite tournaments.
His year began with a bang, as Michelsen knocked Stefanos Tsitsipas out of the Australian Open to great fanfare. Storming into the fourth round, only an inspired Alex de Minaur, buoyed by the home crowd, could stop his momentum.
He then translated that into a semi-final at the Delray Beach Open, before enduring a lull across the Sunshine Double.
Clay is far from his favoured surface, and despite dropping down to play a brief Challenger, it could not rescue his form as he lost a handful of tournaments in the first or second round. A period to forget.
Alas, he once again showed promise upon his return to grass, but was sadly one of many seeds knocked out early in Wimbledon, falling victim to an inexplicable phenomenon.
And now we are back on the hard courts that he favours so much, with Michelsen proving why this is the surface where he can cause a real threat.
He has had his ups and downs, but come the end of 2025, this young talent will be in a really strong position to kick on in his career and start ticking off landmark ranking milestones.
