Michelsen's shocking confession: "COVID saved my tennis career"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 16 Oct 2025 | 11.00

Michelsen's shocking confession: "COVID saved my tennis career". Photo: Gettyimages

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Alex Michelsen is looking to take the definitive step to shed the label of 'promise' and embrace that of 'threat'. However, for that, he needs consistency, something that has been lacking for him in 2025, where his only highlight is his Challenger title in Estoril.

Nevertheless, in an interview on the "Nothing Major Show" podcast, hosted by Sam Querrey, John Isner, Steve Johnson, and Jack Sock, Alex Michelsen shared an interesting reflection on the lockdown period due to COVID-19, as well as his experience at the Laver Cup, despite a not-so-desired debut as he fell to Jakub Mensik. Currently, he is competing at the ATP Almaty, where he has won two consecutive matches for the first time since ATP Toronto. He is also seen in doubles draws, reaching the final of the ATP Shanghai alongside Andre Goransson.

Alex Michelsen and a COVID-19 that saved his tennis career

"I didn't consider myself a professional tennis player, but I knew I was pretty good. I was top five in my class. Then I started playing some Futures tournaments and told myself, 'Wait, I can be like all these guys.' I began deceiving myself and thinking I could be a professional. I don't know, I would have never been like this if it weren't for COVID, because thanks to it, I could study at home. COVID saved me, saved my tennis career, to be honest. That's when I started playing five hours a day."

"Those years I played tennis like in high school. I was a mediocre player, and then I started participating in these tournaments. I was ranked 500th, and I reached the Challenger final and thought, 'Wait, I can do this.' But my parents wanted me to keep studying, and I only had a limited time to succeed. Then I won the Challenger in Chicago, reached the final in Newport, defeated Isner in the semifinals, and that solidified my position."

About his experience at the Laver Cup 2025, despite the defeat against Jakub Mensik

"I was the first substitute. Then Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton didn't show up. I talked to Andre Agassi on the phone for about an hour. I didn't think he would be that interested, but he was really excited."

"I stepped onto the court and couldn't hit a ball for about 40 minutes. I was walking next to Agassi thinking, 'What's happening?' Agassi helped me relax as the match progressed, but yeah, I was as tense as a string."

Meeting Roger Federer in a curious way

"I met him for the first time at the gala. And if you want to hear something very embarrassing but also quite funny, I lost a bet with Fritz. He asked me, 'What are the chances you trip on the stairs when you're announced?' And when I was announced, I took a small misstep. And it was really embarrassing in front of a thousand people. It wasn't fun. So, I think my luck was doomed from the start."

His definition of the Laver Cup will not leave anyone indifferent

"It was like the Davis Cup on steroids. That's how I would describe it. There's a bit more energy. I hadn't spent much time with most of them before this weekend. We connected a lot and got to know each other. We talked about our strengths and weaknesses, our matches, and stuff like that. And it was something even the Davis Cup couldn't replicate," says Alex Michelsen, who, unbelievably, COVID launched his career and now seeks consistency in the ATP circuit, which he is currently struggling to find.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La impactante confesión de Michelsen: "El COVID salvó mi carrera tenística"

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