Fasten your seatbelts! Two young guns, Alex Michelsen (USA) and Bu Yunchaokete (CHN) are all set to light up the stage at the Arena GNP Seguros, Acapulco with their flamboyant tennis. Both these players have already made one QF appearance each in 2025. Owing to his incredible performances in the last few months, Michelsen reached his career-high ranking at the start of this season.

During that time, he said, “I don’t put too much pressure on myself in terms of ranking.” However, his rapid rise has now made him the talk of the town in the tennis world. Now, the question is: Can the 20-year-old American beat the Chinese player in the first round of the 2025 Mexican Open?

Alex Michelsen vs Bu Yunchaokete: Preview

There are a lot of expectations for the fans from this epic encounter. Alex Michelsen will be entering this contest following his defeat to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the SF of the Delray Beach Open. The Serb defeated Michelsen by 7-6(3),6-3 in that match. What will be the scoreline in his first-round clash against Yunchaokete at the Mexican Open?

Just like Michelsen, even Bu Yunchaokete has also never competed in this tournament before in his career. He will be entering this match following his first-round exit at the hands of world number 2, Alexander Zverev at the Rio Open. The 23-year-old Chinese player managed to put up a strong fight in the first set against the German, but he failed to pull things back on track in the second set. The match ended at 7-6(4),6-4 in favor of the German.

Michelsen vs Yunchaokete: Head-to-Head

Alex Michelsen has faced Bu Yunchaokete twice in his career so far. Currently, the American has a 2-0 lead over the Chinese in the head-to-head record.

• 2024 Metz QF: Michelsen 6(6)-7,6-2,6-4.
• 2024 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai R128: Michelsen 6-3,6-4.

Prediction: Michelsen to win in straight sets

Alex Michelsen will be full-on confidence, especially after his recent SF run at the Delray Beach Open. We believe his high confidence level will help him start the match on the front foot against someone like Bu Yunchaokete. If we take a look at the numbers, Michelsen (34) currently has a win-loss record of 9-5 in the 2025 season. On the other hand, Yunchaokete (68) has a record of just 3-7 as of now.

So, considering all these factors and the results from their previous meetings, Michelsen looks like a clear favorite in this epic duel. Now, if we take a look at their playing styles, Yunchaokete is known for a playing style that emphasizes solid fundamentals, composure, and a well-rounded game. His key strengths lie in his ability to extend rallies and force errors out of his opponents. Apart from that, he also has a strong two-handed backhand and a solid baseline game. Yunchaokete’s tactical intelligence can at times frustrate players who love to play an aggressive brand of tennis.

On the other hand, his opponent in this match, Alex Michelsen is a very tricky opponent to face. He has a strong two-handed backhand along with an equally venomous forehand which can be really effective on this surface. Michelsen loves coming to the net and finishing off the points. He is also a good server, especially on the first serve. His incredible presence of mind often gives him an edge in challenging situations during the matches. Can Michelsen overcome this challenge from the Chinese star in the first round of the Mexican Open? Well, according to our analysis, the answer is a big ‘yes’!