Taylor Fritz reached the US Open final, losing out to Jannik Sinner as he became the first American to reach a Major final since Andy Roddick, 15 years earlier.

The nation’s best players enjoyed more success at last month’s Australian Open, as several players stood out.

Ben Shelton beat Lorenzo Sonego to reach the semis, where he then suffered the same fate as Fritz, losing to Sinner in straight sets.

Another to impress was Tommy Paul, who made his top-ten debut following the event, having reached the quarter-finals.

There was another American ATP star, however, who performed well in Melbourne and continues to fly under the radar.

Alex Michelsen: The ‘impressively unimpressive’ 20-year-old American tennis star

Casual fans of the sport may not have heard of Alex Michelsen, but that likely won’t be the case for much longer.

The 20-year-old star is currently ranked 37th in the world, and has already appeared in three tour-level finals.

Michelsen hasn’t enjoyed too much media ‘hype’ during his rise up the rankings, something that one legendary tennis coach gave his thoughts on a few years ago.

“He’s impressively unimpressive,” said Tommy Paul’s coach Brad Stine.

“You have to have a pretty deep understanding of tennis to see what he’s doing out there.”

One tennis fan took to X to share their thoughts on the young star, as they predicted big things for Michelsen in the future.

“Ever since high school, where he was absolutely dominant, the kid has proven he’s a winner,” they said.

“High IQ player, winner mentality, great length on defense, solid on both wings, pro-level serve.

“There’s nothing not to like about Michelsen; he can be a top-ten player if he reaches his potential.”

Michelsen was a dominant junior, winning several big titles while playing for Aliso Niguel High School, and went on to win even more at the ITF level.

The American won 19 of his 26 matches at the ‘futures’ level as he committed to play college tennis for the University of Georgia.

Michelsen changed his mind, however, turning pro instead, a decision that paid off soon after.

At the 2023 Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Michelsen reached his first ATP final, coming up short in straight sets to veteran Adrian Mannarino.

He suffered the same fate in 2024, as Michelsen lost to Marcus Giron in the final, before falling to defeat against Lorenzo Sonego, in Winston Salem one month later.

Three-times a tour finalist, Michelsen was ready for his Grand Slam breakthrough which came in Melbourne earlier this year.

Michelsen shocked Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round, before securing wins over home favorite James McCabe and former semi-finalist Karen Khachanov to reach the last 16.

He then lost to Alex de Minaur in the fourth round, 0-6, 6-7, 3-6, ending his impressive run down under.

Michelsen reached his career-high of 37th in the world after the Australian Open, as he looks to be one of the best young talents in all of tennis.

Is Alex Michelsen the best youngster on the ATP Tour?

In an era of transition on the ATP Tour, there aren’t too many young players competing at the top of the game.

Michelsen is one of just three players aged 20 or younger who are currently ranked inside the world’s top 50 as he continues his charge toward the top ten.

The American’s ranking will rise even further after his efforts in Delray Beach this week, having reached the semi-finals in Florida.

When the new set of rankings are released on Monday, Michelsen will be ranked 35th at the lowest.

If he were to win the title in Delray Beach, the 20-year-old would make his top-30 debut, replacing Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

Michelsen will take on Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the first semi-final before Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.