Alex Michelsen
'Circled on my calendar': Improved Michelsen makes Jeddah comeback
American aims to gain knowledge of Jeddah's success
December 17, 2024
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Alex Michelsen opens his Jeddah campaign with an all-American match against Nishesh Basavareddy on Wednesday.
By ATP staff
Alex Michelsen came up empty-handed last year at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, losing the last two breaks in a remarkable team campaign. Armed with that experience and an improved all-around game, he returns as the second seed and one of the favorites to lift the Jeddah crown this season.
“I'm very happy to be back. This has been circled on my calendar for almost a year,” said the American. “Coming back here as the second seed is really cool. I'm getting my own locker. I'm very inspired.”
Michelsen entered the 20-and-under event last season shortly after breaking into the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings. He is now on the brink of the Top 40 after his first full season on the ATP Tour.
“This year I think it's a little different,” he explained. “I can carry the experience I got this year into this week and everything I got from playing 33 weeks this year. I'm really happy to be back and hopefully I can do better than last year.”
A year after making the Newport final in just his second tour-level event, Michelsen has backed that up by reaching two ATP Tour finals this season. He also finished second on the grass in Newport before making another deep run on home soil on the hard courts of Winston-Salem.
“I'm very happy to do both tournaments,” said Michelsen, looking back on what he called “a great year”.
“I graduated from Cincy in doubles and then went straight to Winston-Salem and graduated in singles,” he continued. “I played every day for 12 or 13 days. I was really excited to get into the Open this year, but to do those two [singles] the final was unbelievable. It was the highlight of my year for sure.”
The 20-year-old credits his dedication to fitness and more professional nutrition for his strong 2024, as well as improving his forehand and diet. Thanks in large part to his parents, Erik and Sondra, Michelsen has a solid foundation to build on.
He often played with both parents growing up and benefited from their different ways of playing. While his father played an aggressive game, his mother was a grinding person: “When I went out on the weekends to play with both my parents, I would grind with my mother. Then my father would intervene,” he said with a laugh. “It was always fun with my dad because we were playing all these fun little games, like cross court first through fifth, chip backhands, things like that. My mom was like, 'Okay, we'll do it. Hit the forecourt for 30 minutes.'
“He built a good foundation for me. I beat him almost every day until I was 15. When COVID came, that's when I stopped beating him. But I used to beat him four or five times a week apart from that. He has no chance of me being here. I am very grateful to my parents. “
Now, Michelsen is fine-tuning his game with coaches Robby Ginepri and Jay Leavitt. Both have helped him adapt to life on the ATP Tour, where – even the best – many weeks end in losses.
“In the beginning it was hard not to win,” Michelsen said of the adjustment. “Not winning a tournament, it's a bit strange. In the juniors I was winning a lot in the domestic tournaments and then the ITF. Then you enter the Tour and everyone is very good and it's very difficult to win the tournament. .I feel much better [at dealing with that] just because you know everyone loses except one guy. I'm mature that way for sure.”
In a unique format this week in Jeddah, Michelsen could lose and win the title. Or he can match Jannik Sinner's run at the Nitto ATP Finals with a perfect 5-0 record en route to the title.
No doubt aiming for the latter, Michelsen will begin his Jeddah campaign on Wednesday with an all-American match against seventh seed Nishesh Basavareddy.
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