“I definitely have goals that I don’t want to say in a press conference, but I definitely do have goals.” American youngster and 20-year-old talent Alex Michelsen made it quite clear, back in January during the Australian Open, that he’s not here to mess around. Being a pro now, he wants to take long shots while targeting the higher ranks through his performances. There may be obstacles and distractions, but he’s staying locked in. After early exits in back-to-back campaigns, including Wimbledon, Michelsen seems to have found his form this week in Toronto. Ahead of the US Open, the youngster has underlined his priorities.
Michelsen kicked off his Canadian Open run with a remarkable win on Tuesday. Against Chile’s Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, he had to go through a tiebreak battle in the first set. However, the World No. 34 managed to come out stronger and eventually beat Vera with a scoreline of 7-6(7), 6-3. It was his maiden main draw win at the 1000 event after losing in the first round in 2024.
After the match, Michelsen was asked about his career journey so far and how he likes to take it forward. During his interaction with Tennis Channel, dated July 30, host Prakash Amritraj was curious to know if the rising star had anything else on his mind other than tennis. “Everything you do is pointed towards becoming the best you can at that. I think that’s difficult at a young age. Not everyone is able to do that. There’s a lot of distractions when you start playing well. On a scale of 1 to 10, where do you feel you are on that passion meter?” Michelsen’s response? “Yeah, like 11.” Elaborating on it, he added, “I feel like yeah I don’t honestly have a life. All I do is play tennis, and I’m cool with that.”
Aug 6, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Alex Michelsen (USA) serves against Kei Nishikori (JPN) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Furthermore, Michelsen went a step ahead while giving reasoning for his tennis-oriented lifestyle. “I play tennis and I play video games and life’s good. To go city to city, you know, get to see the world.”
He concluded, saying, “There’s no complaints over here. And I love working hard and just doing everything I can to become as best as I can. I absolutely love it. There’s nothing I would rather want to do.” Now one must be wondering: how come this young lad is able to stay so laser-focused at this age? Well, credit goes to his coaching setup…
Alex Michelsen’s unique coaching plays a key role in his ambitions
For the uninitiated, Alex Michelsen‘s got not one, but two main coaches while traveling between tours. The first one is former American ATP pro Robby Ginepri. The second trainer is Jay Leavitt. He’s been with the 20-year-old since last year’s US Open.
In the same interaction, host Prakash Amritraj touched upon the idea of having two coaches. When asked, “What was the thought process behind bringing the second coach on?”, Michelsen simply answered, “Yeah, I mean the tour is so long and I feel like it’s only getting longer. So you got to have two guys. Not one coach can do it all anymore.”
Expanding on his reply, he added, “That’s what I feel like. And that’s what my coaches like too. So for now, they’re going to be both of them. But that’s not going to be the case for every tournament because that would be a lot. But yeah I think, having two coaches around, it’s very nice.”
Going forward, Michelsen will prepare for his next match at the Canada Open. On Thursday, he will face a really tough challenge in the form of Italian Lorenzo Musetti. Both the ATP pros will meet for the first time in their careers. Ahead of the US Open, Michelsen would like to gain as much momentum as possible to get going on the American hard court. Do you think the youngster will be among the fresh faces to watch out for in New York? Let us know in the comments below.
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