In January 2025, at the Australian Open, 20-year-old American Alex Michelsen made a stunning breakthrough in Melbourne. In the opening round, he went up against the top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and not only kept his cool but also took apart a seasoned Grand Slam contender in four sets. This impressive win really set the stage for his tournament journey. Feeling great after that surprise win, he kept the momentum going with another impressive showing: taking down world No. 19 Karen Khachanov in straight sets to move on to the fourth round.

“I played unbelievable in that match. I don’t even really know what’s going on,” Michelsen said after his win over Khachanov. “I was hitting my forehand unbelievable. I’ve never hit my forehand that well, so super happy to keep it going in the next round and, yeah, not a lot of words right now.”

That win against two top-20 players gave him special recognition: he became the youngest American man to score multiple ATP top-20 victories at a Grand Slam since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi did it at the 1990 U.S. Open. It was definitely the best performance, really putting him on the radar as a Grand Slam contender to watch out for. Interestingly, the 20-year-old has now shared his thoughts on achieving this milestone.

In an Exclusive conversation with EssentiallySports, when host Andrew Whitelaw asked, “What was your experience like in Melbourne? You beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, and you were the youngest American to claim multiple ATP top‑20 wins at a Grand Slam since Sampras‑Agassi,” Michelsen dove into his reflections on both the performances and the emotional impact.

Alex Michelsen shared his thoughts on sharing the same milestone as Tennis greats

Months after the Australian Open, he reflected on the stat that aligned him with tennis legends, saying, “Yeah, that was a cool stat. I remember that. I was like that. That’s that seemed a little nitpicky, like, you know, top 22, top 20 wins. I was a little nitpicky, but it’s a cool stat. I saw it and I was like, oh, it made me feel good inside. But yeah, that was a that was a good run. I was playing really well. That was probably the best tournament I played this year.”

The 20-year-old American tennis prodigy pointed out that the conditions in Australia really brought out the best in his game. He compared the climatic conditions to that of California, and added, “Yeah, I played super well. I really like playing in Australia. I played twice. I got third round or fourth round. I really like playing down there. The conditions really suit my game. It’s nice and dry, like dry heat, like similar to California. So, yeah, I just I absolutely love it down there.”

Michelsen’s candid take grounded his rising profile in something deeper than wins and rankings. He recognized the comparison to Sampras and Agassi as a big deal, but it didn’t really shape how he viewed himself.

Instead, he saw it as a way to validate all the hard work he had done. He really connected with the setting on a personal level, pointing out that finding places where he feels comfortable is super important for his growth. Only time will tell what else the rising tennis star has in store for the fans in the near future.