ATP M 1000 MIAMI
This Monday, the standout moments were the victories of local players Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen, both in tightly contested matches that went down to the very last point.
Alex Michelsen (No. 40) completed a comeback, winning 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 after two hours of intense play, with chances on both sides throughout the match. However, the cameras remained focused on Michelsen after his victory and captured a controversial moment. What happened? After sealing match point, Michelsen put his index finger to his lips, silencing the Chilean fans who had shown up in force. This gesture quickly drew a reaction from the crowd. “Come on, come on,” Michelsen shouted as he continued to face the hostile behavior of the Chilean supporters on Court 1 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States.
We have a new surprise at the 2026 Miami Open. Following Mirra Andreeva’s loss to Victoria Mboko, the tournament saw the fall of its second defending champion, Czech player Jakub Mensik. After stunning Novak Djokovic in 2025, Mensik now exits in the third round, falling to Frances Tiafoe in a three-set battle, 6–7(4), 6–4, 6–7(11).
The Czech, who had recently reached the second round in Indian Wells and the quarterfinals in Dubai, was unable to replicate last year’s success. He let slip his only break-point opportunity in the fourth game of the opening set, and later, in the tiebreak, Tiafoe surged ahead 4–0, eventually claiming the set on his fourth set point after 55 minutes.
This 2026 Miami Open edition is proving to be unique for American tennis. It marks only the second Masters 1000 tournament in history where two American players have defeated both the defending champion and the world No. 1. The only previous instance was Paris 1994, when Michael Chang and Andre Agassi achieved the feat. This time, the protagonists are Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda.