Michelsen Ends Merida's Fairytale US Open Run in Three Sets

A Tight Opener Before Michelsen Pulls Clear

Alex Michelsen brought Dani Mérida's extraordinary debut US Open run to an end on Saturday, winning 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-3 in the third round at Flushing Meadows. The American, unseeded and 21 years old, had to navigate a closely fought first set before asserting his superior consistency and depth of shot in the second and third to book a place in the Round of 16.

Mérida arrived at the match as the defining story of the tournament's first week. The 21-year-old Spaniard had entered the main draw with no Grand Slam main-draw wins to his name and had proceeded to eliminate fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the second round — a result that put his name in headlines across the tennis world. The third round pitted him against a different kind of challenge: an opponent with more Grand Slam experience and better equipped to handle the pressure of deep runs at majors.

Merida Competitive Before the Tiebreak Turns the Match

The opening set was closely contested throughout. Mérida showed the confidence and variety of shot that had unsettled Rublev, keeping Michelsen honest through 12 games on serve. The tiebreak, however, went the American's way 7-5, and from that point the match developed in a clearer direction. Michelsen served with more assurance after the first-set victory and began to find the extra pace and depth that had been absent in the opener.

The second set told a more straightforward story: Michelsen broke to lead and closed out 6-4. In the third, Mérida's level dipped as the match extended beyond two hours, and Michelsen took full advantage, finishing 6-3 to complete a composed three-set victory. The Spaniard created opportunities, particularly with his forehand drive down the line, but errors crept in at key moments when he needed clean winners.

A Farewell That Enhances Mérida's Standing

Despite the defeat, Dani Mérida exits the 2026 US Open with his status fundamentally changed. He arrived as an unknown quantity to most of the tennis world; he departs having beaten a top-five player in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time, having reached the third round of a major for the first time, and having demonstrated a level of tennis capable of competing with the tour's established names on hard courts. The performances of this fortnight will travel with him into the autumn season and beyond.

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For the Spanish tennis community, his run at Flushing Meadows — the first significant Grand Slam result of his career — represents a promising signal for the future of the country's men's game beyond its established names.

Michelsen Into the Last 16

For Alex Michelsen, the win confirms his growing capacity to advance at Grand Slam level. He moves into the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open with momentum and joins a last-16 line-up featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul, who are set to meet each other in a marquee fourth-round encounter. Michelsen's own assignment will be confirmed as the remainder of Saturday's third-round schedule is completed.