If you had Alex Michelsen making the quarterfinals at the US Open before the tournament, go ahead and collect your winnings.
The 22-year-old unseeded American has been blitzing through his opponents and hasn't lost a set in any of his four victories. The competition will only get more difficult from here.
His next opponent is fellow American and No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe, whom Michelsen has lost to the only two times they have faced off.
Michelsen's style features a two-handed backhand and a serve that is at times unreturnable. If it is returned, Michelsen, especially in this tournament, has been scoring easy winners; he piled up 44 of them in his fourth-round victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Michelson is currently ranked No. 46 on the ATP
Tour. If he reaches the semifinals, he will vault into the top 30, securing a career-high ranking. He has made just over $1 million in prize money so far in 2026; his quarterfinal appearance will earn him $780,000.
What to know about Alex Michelsen
Michelsen is from Aliso Viejo, California, graduating from Laurel Springs School before signing a letter of intent with the University of Georgia men's tennis program as the top-ranked American-born player in 2023.
But Michelsen never made it to Athens, Georgia, instead turning professional that same year. He had a prolific amateur career before then, winning the 2022 Wimbledon doubles title in the boys' division and reaching the final in the same division at the 2022 Australian Open. He later made his Grand Slam debut in doubles at the 2022 US Open, suffering a first-round defeat.
In 2023, he was a wild card entry at the US Open, making his Grand Slam singles debut. Before this tournament, Michelsen had only reached the fourth round once in 2025 at the Australian Open.
Michelson's road to US Open quarterfinals
Round 1: Defeated Federico Cina 6-4, 6-1, 6-0
Round 2: Defeated No. 16 Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Round 3: Defeated Daniel Merida 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-3
Round 4: Defeated No. 27 Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-4
Michelson's next US Open match
Michelsen will play No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The winner of this match will face the winner of the quarterfinal between No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 8 Ben Shelton in the US Open semifinals on Friday, Sept. 11.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet American Alex Michelsen, the surprise quarterfinalist at US Open
