The Australian Open has been rocked by a massive upset as Stefanos Tsitsipas, one of the tournament’s biggest names, was dumped out in the first round by unseeded American Alex Michelsen.
Tsitsipas, a former finalist at Melbourne Park, was seeded 11th for the tournament but fell to a stunning 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 defeat to Michelsen in a match at John Cain Arena on Monday. The Greek star, who reached the men’s singles final in 2023, had a brief resurgence in the third set, but Michelsen, ranked 42nd on the ATP Tour, regained control in the fourth to secure one of the biggest wins of his young career.
This marks Tsitsipas’ second consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam, having suffered a similar fate at the 2024 US Open, where he was knocked out by Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis. Despite a fierce battle, Tsitsipas’ inability to maintain momentum throughout the match, coupled with an untimely double fault on break point in the deciding set, proved costly.
“It was a battle to the end,” said Michelsen, who, at 20, recorded his first-ever victory over a player in the ATP top 20 at a Grand Slam. The American displayed remarkable composure during key moments, particularly as he fought through errors in the deciding set to take the win.
Tsitsipas, visibly shaken by the defeat, shared a warm embrace with Michelsen at the net after the match point, acknowledging the American’s impressive performance. The loss marks Tsitsipas’ first first-round exit at Melbourne Park since 2018.
The defeat is a significant blow to Tsitsipas, who has reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open three times and was a finalist in 2023, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Still in search of his maiden Grand Slam title, Tsitsipas will now focus on regrouping as he looks ahead to future tournaments.
Michelsen, who has enjoyed a breakthrough year, will next face either Australian wildcard James McCabe or Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce in the second round.
In contrast to Tsitsipas’ early exit, Coco Gauff continued her impressive form, defeating Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the second round. The reigning French Open champion extended her win streak to 10 matches, further cementing her position as one of the tournament’s top contenders.
As the tournament progresses, eyes will now turn to the upcoming matchups, including title defenses from world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
