NEW DELHI: Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas lost to young American Alex Michelsen in four sets on Monday, to crash out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle.
The 11th-seeded Greek, who had played Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final at Melbourne Park, never seemed at ease against the 20-year-old, who had him sprinting all over the court.
Michelsen, ranked 42, won big at John Cain Arena 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
"I just tried to stay super composed out there today, I knew it was going to be a battle to the end," said the American, who scored his first win over a top-20 player at a Slam.
"My serve sort of let me down a bit in the fourth set, but super happy to get through it.
"It's all about the mindset. I came in with the proper mindset and I executed the game plan," he added.
After a lackluster 2024 in which his ranking fell from a career-high three to its current twelve, Tsitsipas's issues were exacerbated by the defeat.
In addition to losing in the first round of the US Open, he only managed one title, a repeat victory at Monte Carlo.
This year, Tsitsipas hoped for a fresh start.
However, he had a rough start to the season after losing to 77th-ranked Alexander Shevchenko in his first United Cup match, and he took that form into Melbourne.
