ALMATY/STARNBERG, October 17, 2025
US-American rising star Alex Michelsen is through to the semifinals of the Almaty Open after a determined comeback win in the quarterfinals on Friday. The sixth seed battled past Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in two hours and four minutes, showcasing maturity and composure well beyond his years.
25th victory of the season
No. 6 seed Alex Michelsen comes back from a break down in the decider to beat Mochizuki 6-3 3-6 6-2! #AlmatyOpen pic.twitter.com/rfyQUBnYqw
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 17, 2025
“He had a five or six-game stretch where he was playing unbelievable,” Michelsen said after the match. “I just tried to stay super solid through that. My serve got me out of some tough situations, and I stayed mentally strong. It was a good matchup overall.”
While the final set scoreline might suggest control, Michelsen made it clear the battle was far from easy. “I was actually down a break,” he explained. “He was playing great late in the second and early in the third. I just kept fighting and stayed focused. His level dropped a bit—he looked like he might’ve been feeling unwell—but I just tried to stick to my game, and it paid off.”
At only 21, Michelsen is one of the youngest players in the draw of the ATP 250 event in Kazakhstan, yet he continues to impress with his poise and consistency. “Yeah, I just turned 21, so I’m still kind of a baby out here,” the World No. 36 said with a smile. “This is almost my second full year on the main tour. It’s really cool to get this experience at a young age—to travel the world, play these matches—and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Reflecting on his recent experience playing under captain Andre Agassi at the Laver Cup, Michelsen lit up: “It was an incredible experience. Andre is an unbelievable guy with a one-of-a-kind tennis mind. The way he sees the game is just different. He gave me a couple of tips I’ll keep to myself, but they’ve really helped me. Hopefully I can play again next year—it was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Michelsen will next face Frenchman Corentin Moutet, who was a 6-4, 7-5 winner over Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, for a place in the final. With this victory, he reaches his third semifinal of the season, after strong runs in Delray Beach and Mallorca, while also becoming just the third US-American semifinalist in tournament history, following Frances Tiafoe (2020) and Sebastian Korda (2023).
