Michelsen honest about the overall level of men's tennis: "The ATP circuit is brutal, it's mentally tough"

Alex Michelsen was one of the first players to secure his place at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, which take place in a week's time.

The 20-year-old American reached his highest ranking in November with a 41st place.

He has contested two finals in Winston Salem and Newport, both of which he lost, but he is making steady progress. In an interview with the official ATP website, Michelsen talks about what he has learned this season.

"The ATP circuit is brutal. You lose every week. I haven't won a tournament this year. I had a match point in the Newport final and took an ace.

Last year, I was winning a lot because I went from the top 600 to 97th in the world. I won matches in Futures and Challengers.

This year, it was 50/50. I have to have the same number of wins as losses. It's difficult mentally, especially when it happens for the first time.

You have to learn to be a good loser, because it happens to you all the time," he assures us.

"All players perform well. Anyone can beat anyone in a match in the top 100, and if you think otherwise, there won't be any match where you have a margin of safety.

It's really tough. I'd say that's what I've learned most this year. You have to be patient when it comes to results. I've matured a lot this year.

I've had a lot of good experiences. I'm doing pretty well. I've achieved my goal of reaching the top 50, which I'm delighted about.