ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2026

Alex Michelsen

Press Conference

A. MICHELSEN/A. Shevchenko

6-2, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Alex, congratulations on the win today. Impressive score line. What was working so well for you?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yeah, everything. Everything was working well. Served good, moving good, feeling good on the clay. It's been a long stretch, but I feel like I've learned a lot and become a better clay court player. So I'm really glad that showed in the results today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What do you feel like is clicking for you that you sort of feel like looking like you've solved something about how to make your game working on clay?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yeah, I feel like I'm making a lot more balls from the baseline. I'm not going for silly hard-court or grass-court shots like I usually do because I never grew up on clay. I think just eliminating those bad decisions got me to the win today.

Q. I was listening to Lindsay on TNT yesterday, and she was saying it's a great opportunity for American men because of the conditions. I wanted to get your take on it. It's hot. Everybody says it's playing faster, but can you explain to me actually what it's like on the court, why it maybe is playing differently because of the heat?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yeah, Lindsay is totally right. It's definitely good for us Americans. It's definitely moving fast when it's hot. It was probably, what, 90 today or 30, whatever country you're from, but yeah, it's moving fast.

I think Americans, generally we're big serve, big forehand, big ground game and likes to play offense. I think when it's super hot, the ball is moving through the air very fast, and I think it's great.

It's definitely great for my game. I love it. I was so happy when I saw the forecast was going to be so hot for the rest of this week. Yeah, it's really, really good for all of us.

Q. Can you elaborate a little bit more? Is it just the pace through the court? Is it bounce? Does the clay feel different under your feet? Are there other reasons you like it just other than it's fast?

ALEX MICHELSEN: I mean, no. That's really the main thing. Also, the Roland Garros courts are so perfect. It's very -- it's not taking any bad bounces or crazy high bounces like on pretty much every other stop that we have.

But mostly it's just the ball moving through the air very fast. That's just generally how it goes when it's warmer, yeah.

Q. There's a lot of U.S. fans here in Roland Garros. Do you feel that on the court?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yeah, I had a couple of boys around my age that were screaming after every point I won on one of the sides, which was fun. But, yeah, I mean, I also played on Court 12, so I don't think there were too many Americans out there.

You know, maybe in my second-round match. I'm also playing mother another American. So, yeah, hopefully all the Americans will come out.

Q. You're playing Nishesh, who you know from your junior days. Can you talk a little about that match and how that matchup is for you?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yeah, it's going to be very interesting. I actually thought when he was, you know, supposed to play Taylor, I thought that was going to be tough, because he's going to use his hands, and Nishesh has very good hands, and he's going to be a tough out. He's a good competitor.

We played our first match together when we were probably 8 or 9 years old. So, you know, it's pretty funny we're getting to play here at a Grand Slam.

But, yeah, it's going to be a tricky match. He's a very, very good player, and I'm expecting it to be a very tough match.

Q. Just wanted to know you've been working with Kristof Vliegen for a couple of months. Can you tell me what he brought to your game, and what do you like about working with him?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yeah, Kristof is amazing. We've been working together since October, and he is just one of the smartest tennis minds that I've been around.

He's got a lot of experience, not only in tennis, and in life. We talk a lot about other stuff besides tennis. He is a great guide, and he's a great mentor as well as a coach. I think all those things combined.

Also, working on things. My serve has gotten better, the forehand. He's taught me how to move a little better. He's European, so there's a couple of different things like that.

Yeah, he's been great, yeah.

Q. There are still line judges here. What's your opinion about that compared to the other tournaments?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Well, today I was happy. You know, there's no mistakes, but I think, you know, eventually it's only human, people are going to make a mistake.

I do kind of like it to have the line judges. I think it's cool, but at the same time, I also feel the game is super fast now, and it's tough for humans to see, like, Reilly Opelka serving 140 miles an hour. Like, how do you see that? It's really tough.

But I think on the clay it's a little easier because you see where the ball is bouncing. You have the mark, right? I think if we're going to have line judges, I think clay is the best surface to have them on.

Q. Back to Nishesh. I think you guys have played a couple of times on tour, a couple of times at Challengers. You played when you were 8 or 9. How many times would you say you've played before you got to the pro, and was he always the guy with the hands, the dropshot clinic like he put on yesterday with Fritz? Have you seen him play that way?

ALEX MICHELSEN: Yes, he's always had the hands. He's always been very, very talented. I mean, in juniors we played in the Easter Bowl Final. I got him there.

Other than that, I don't know if we've played any more in the juniors. We played in Challengers. We played at Next Gen. That's the last time I played him. Most of the time, it's been battles.

I remember one time, it was the week I broke top 100, I played him, and I didn't miss a ball. We were talking about it actually not too long ago, we were laughing about it. I couldn't miss a ball that day. Sometimes you have to do that to beat a player like that.

So, yeah, it's going to be interesting.