The US Open is inching closer, and the pressure is on! Especially for the young guns eyeing their shot at the last Grand Slam of the season. But with that chase comes fatigue — and the grind of playing flat-out in warm-up tournaments. Alex Michelsen is feeling the heat. The American just finished a strong run at the Canadian Masters, reaching the quarterfinals as the 26th seed. Now he’s in Cincinnati, hoping to go even further. But a few obstacles have stirred concern.

Kicking off his Cincinnati campaign in the round of 64, Michelsen is facing Corentin Moutet. The match started with a scare as the Frenchman grabbed the first set 6-3. But the 20-year-old wasn’t about to fold, roaring back to take the second set 6-3. A real mark of a rising star.

Then came trouble in the decider. As reported by Edge AI on X: “Medical time out for Alex Michelsen. Quick massage on the left thigh / groin. Michelsen to serve for the match at 5-4 vs Corentin Moutet in set 3.” Uh-oh.

The match is still alive, keeping everyone in suspense. Can Alex Michelsen push through the pain and close it out? He’s just one game away from victory — and from taking down the Frenchman.

This wasn’t the first time Alex Michelsen had an injury scare on tour. Back in November 2024, he picked up an abdominal injury at the Moselle Open that hampered his serve and cost him the match. In that very same tournament’s semifinal against Benjamin Bonzi, he took a medical timeout for the same issue, gamely playing on but clearly slowed down.

Then in January 2025, at the Australian Open, he needed a medical timeout for a hip injury, saying it had “popped” and felt “pretty tight.” He still went on to beat Karen Khachanov. Come March at Indian Wells, his run ended after just two games when a stomach virus forced him to retire. Later, he admitted he shouldn’t have even stepped on court that day.

And now, it was the thigh/groin that had fans holding their breath. Midway through his Cincinnati Open clash with Corentin Moutet, Michelsen called for a medical timeout and got treatment. It looked worrying. But the 20-year-old wasn’t about to fold.

He roared back in the decider, taking the third set 6-4 to seal the win over the Frenchman and book his spot in the next round. A gritty performance indeed. He’s truly shaping up to be a star and one that even left Andy Roddick impressed.

Former World No.1 heaps praise for Alex Michelsen

Michelsen’s 2025 season has been nothing short of a breakout. He powered into the fourth round of the Australian Open, reached his first Masters quarterfinal in Canada, and cracked the top 30 in July. Injuries have tried to slow him down, but the 20-year-old keeps bouncing back — most recently grinding through a medical timeout to grab a win in Cincinnati. The rising American is making his mark, and tennis is taking notice.

After Michelsen’s run to the Canadian Open quarterfinals, Andy Roddick was quick to praise him. “Alex Michelsen played great,” Roddick said. “He’s really good on fast surfaces. You talk about the ball flying through the air. He can create speed on that backhand. I saw Craig Boynton, who’s now kind of working with Robby Ginepri. They’ve done a great job with Alex Michelsen.”

Michelsen’s coaching journey is already stacked. Jay Leavitt, his current coach, has guided him since last year’s US Open. A founder of Tier 1 Performance PNW, Leavitt works alongside former world No.15 Robby Ginepri — a 2005 US Open semifinalist and three-time ATP champion — who joined the team in August 2024. The progress they’ve made together has Roddick sold. “And I will say, every single person I ask about Alex Michelsen — who I don’t know personally — same thing. Great kid, works his a— off, wants to be really good at this game. Right? This is a great combo, his reputation is phenomenal. As far as being decent as a human and working your a— off,” the former pro added.

Now, Michelsen turns his focus to the Round of 32 against Holger Rune. The question is — can he shake off the injury scare from his last match and go deep in Cincinnati ahead of the US Open? Time to watch this rising star chase another big win. Share your thoughts in the comments below!