Alex Michelsen was going to go all out to not make his fourth-round match of the Miami Open easy against ATP No. 2 Jannik Sinner. For much of the first set, he didn't, matching the Italian wizard shot for shot. Both players were putting on an impressive display of tennis.
But like all great champions do near the end of tight sets, Sinner was able to elevate his play with the set tied at 5-all and with the American serving, and Sinner was able to jump out to a 0-40 lead. Michelsen pressed back but couldn't continue to hold, and Sinner got the break he would need to take set one.
As much as Michelsen was giving the Italian issues with his serve and bombastic backhand, Sinner was returning the problem in kind. If the Italian landed the first serve, the American could do little with it, winning only one point off Sinner's first serve through one set.
Jannik Sinner survives Alex Michelsen at the 2026 Miami Open
Still, Michelsen deserved credit. He was playing about as good of tennis as he is currently capable of. Instead of playing to his ranking, which is No. 40, he looked every bit of a top-15 player, which the 21-year-old might soon be. To get there, he needs to consistently perform as well as he did early against Jannik Sinner.
The American was able to dig himself out of trouble while serving at times, even after initially falling behind. Sinner had to be impressed. He also had to wonder if Michelsen could keep up that kind of level.
Through the middle of the second set, the answer was a stunning "yes." Serving at 2-3, Sinner fell behind 0-40, and was broken two points later, so that Michelsen took a 4-2 lead. The presumed outcome of the match was anyone's guess at that point. Plus, on his next service game, the American held at love, showing no stress of putting himself in a position to defeat Sinner.
Serving at 5-3, Michelsen ran into an issue he could not control. The sun was suddenly glaring on his side of the court, making it seemingly impossible for him to see the ball at times. At 15-40, he yelled at his coach, "I can't see a (expletive) thing!" It showed, and he was broken two points later to get the set back on serve.
The second set eventually became a tie-break, and each player traded mini-breaks to begin it. Michelsen managed to start 3-1, but he would only win one more point as Sinner's precise serve and wicked forehand eventually were too much for the American.
Jannik Sinner will next face the winner of the Frances Tiafoe versus Terence Atmane match in the quarterfinals. Atmane reached the semifinals at the Cincinnati Masters in 2025, but had never made it past the third round of any other Masters or Grand Slam event until the 2026 Miami Open.