Add The New York Post on Google When things go your way, sometimes they really go your way, and that’s how this year’s U.S. Open seems to be going for American Alex Michelsen, who reached his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Making the run even more impressive is that the California native has advanced by winning straight sets in every match this tournament. He was also the first American through to the quarterfinals in Flushing Meadows on Sunday.
“I haven’t lost a set here this year. I’ve just been playing some really good ball,” he said on the court after the win over the No. 27 seed.
Alex Michelsen, of the United States, reacts after winning his match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, of Argentina, during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis championships on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Seth Wenig While the focus on this year’s tournament has been about the American men’s chances to end the Grand Slam drought, Michelsen’s run has received far less attention than some of the other Americans in Queens this year, but his victory Sunday helped guarantee that an American man will reach the semifinals, as he next faces Frances Tiafoe.
The 2026 U.S. Open has not been shy of storylines and controversies, and Austrian Anastasia Potapova found herself having to push back on one following her victory over American Amanda Anisimova.
After a third-round win Saturday to eliminate last year’s runner-up, some fans interpreted a wave that Potapova had given as her waving goodbye to Anisimova. However, she vehemently denied that was the case in a post on social media, criticizing her “haters.”
“I see so many questions about my bye wave after the match,” she wrote on Instagram. “You just wanna make circus out of everything. I waved to my friend, who has been sitting there and supporting me. Just be easy guys, but I guess haters gonna hate.”
Last year’s U.S. Open runner-up, Jannik Sinner, isn’t in Queens due to a persistent knee injury, but that isn’t keeping him from being out and about. During the second Sunday of the U.S. Open, Sinner popped up at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix near Monza, Italy.
The knee issue forced the world No. 1 to miss the Cincinnati Open and the U.S. Open, but he did say while at the event that his knee was “fine,” Italian outlet la Repubblica reported.
