Next generation of American men getting noticed at 2024 Miami Open

You are not only getting older, but tennis is also getting younger and taller evidenced by the next generation of US men's singles players making names for themselves on the ATP circuit and in Miami this week.

Martin Damm Jr. is a 20-year-old left-handed player who is 6'8" tall. He is a Florida native who won the biggest match of his career in the first round of the Miami Open over Zhizhen Zhang who achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 46 in February. As a result, Damm enters the ATP Top 200 for the first time in his career and earns a second-round Miami Open match with fellow American and World No. 14 Tommy Paul who is currently the second-highest ranked American behind Taylor Fritz at World No. 13.

Alex Michelsen defeated Alex de Minaur last month at Los Cabos. Since then, the 19-year-old 6'4" Californian has been working his way up the rankings, and he is now 73rd. His game is still evolving, and Michelsen is adding to his team with a focus on match fitness so the best is yet to come. Michelsen won his first-round Miami Open match on Wednesday night and will next face World No. 26 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

Like Martin Damm Jr. and Alex Michelsen, Darwin Blanch is beginning his tennis journey

Darwin Blanch, 16, made his ATP debut via wildcard at the Miami Open on Wednesday. He is currently ranked outside of the Top 1000. Blanch is 6'3" tall. His idol is Novak Djokovic, and he trains with Carlos Alcaraz in Spain.

Blanch knows four languages. His dad worked for Coca-Cola so the family moved around a lot when he was younger. All of his siblings play tennis, most notably older brother Ulises Branch, 25, who achieved a career-high World No. 236 in 2021.

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