ALEX MICHELSEN
Alex Michelsen is a perfect example of what the Tiburon Challenger showcases. In 2022, he entered the Tiburon Challenger ranked 1,015th in the world and needed a wild card just to participate in the qualifying rounds. Since then, he's recorded victories over players including Maxime Cressy, John Isner, Mackenzie MacDonald, Kei Nishikori, and Jack Sock. Michelsen, who recently turned 19 years of age, now returns as the 110th ranked player in the world and the top seed in the Challenger.In 2022, Michelsen progressed through both rounds of qualifying here in Tiburon and then upset 6th seeded Juncheng Shang in the first round of the main draw.Just over a month after last year’s Tiburon Challenger, Michelsen won his first USTA Pro Circuit event in East Lansing, MI. He started 2023 by reaching the final of the $25k USTA Pro Circuit tournament in Malibu and winning the $15k USTA Pro Circuit event in Edmond, OK. With the added confidence and experience from those events, Michelsen then reached his first Challenger final in Rome, GA at the end of February.His hard work and determination enabled him to progress beyond USTA Pro Circuit events and Challengers, delivering on the potential that we saw last year. In July, he qualified for his first ATP Tour level event in Mallorca. He followed that up by winning the Chicago Challenger (defeating Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals). Building further, in just his second ATP Tour level event, he reached the final of the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, RI (defeating Maxime Cressy, John Isner, and Mackenzie MacDonald en route to the final). In August, Michelsen reached the round of 16 of the Winston Salem Open and won his first round match at the US Open.We’re thrilled to welcome Alex Michelsen back as the top seed in 2023.
ZACH SVAJDA
We’re excited to welcome defending champion Zach Svajda back to the Tiburon Challenger in 2023. His ability to remain calm through tight matches was crucial to his run to the title. In his opening match last year, he pulled out a victory in a third set tie-break against August Holmgren and then followed it up with an upset win against Michael Mmoh (2018 Tiburon Challenger champion), again in a third set tie-break (after being down 5-1 in the third set). Svajda then defeated Ernesto Escobedo (career high ranking of 67th) in the quarterfinals, Alexis Gallerneau in the semifinals, and Ben Shelton (US Open semifinalist, currently ranked 20th) in the final.Svajda has continued his success in 2023, reaching his current and career-high ranking of 167. He played in ATP Tour level events at the Dallas Open, Citi Open (Washington, D.C.), and qualified for the US Open, where he lost a four-set match to 20th seed Francisco Cerundolo. Immediately after the US Open, he won the Cary (NC) Challenger, with wins over Ethan Quinn (2023 NCAA champion), Alex Michelsen, and Rinky Hijikata (currently ranked 76th).As a junior player, Svajda trained in La Jolla, but skipped playing tournaments until he was nearly 15. Despite that, at 16 he won the U.S. 18-and-under nationals (2019), and then won it again at 18 (2021), with those titles earning him wild card spots into the US Open.
STEVE JOHNSON
Steve “Stevie” Johnson should be familiar to tennis fans here in Tiburon. He achieved a career high singles ranking of 21st, reached the semifinals of the US Open doubles twice (2015 and 2021, both times partnering with Sam Querrey – 2014 Tiburon Challenger champion), and also captured the bronze medal in doubles with Jack Sock (2012 Tiburon Challenger champion) at the 2016 Olympics. Johnson captured six ATP level titles (four in singles and two in doubles) and 11 Challenger titles (nine in singles and two in doubles).Johnson played in his 13th consecutive US Open main draw in 2023, reaching the tournament this year via winning the US Open Wild Card Challenge. His titles at hard court Challengers in Bloomfield Hills, MI, and Lexington, KY, in August enabled him to earn the wild card.He previously played in the Tiburon Challenger in 2011 (reaching the doubles final with Sam Querrey) and in 2012 (reaching the singles semifinals before losing to Jack Sock). Johnson was one of the most successful collegiate players, winning the NCAA singles titles in both his junior (2011) and senior (2012) years at USC. In addition, his USC team won the NCAA team championship in each of his four years.He resides in Orange County with his wife Kendall Bateman and two daughters (Emma – two years old, and Molly – four months old).
PATRICK KYPSON
Just over a year ago, Patrick Kypson was returning to competition after elbow surgery and was ranked 735th in the world. After a successful year, which included winning the USTA’s Roland Garros wild card challenge (and a spot in the French Open), Kypson is now ranked 249th. Initially playing Futures events on the USTA Pro Circuit upon his return, Kypson quickly regained his footing, making the quarterfinals in South Bend, IN, and the semifinals in Champaign, IL, Edwardsville, IL, and Saint-Augustin, Canada. Then qualifying for and progressing in Challenger-level events, he reached the semifinals in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Savannah, GA, both in April 2023. His success in these clay court tournaments earned him the USTA’s Rolland Garros wild card challenge. This summer, he won his first Challenger in Medellin, Colombia. Later, in August he reached the semifinals of two Challengers in his home state of North Carolina.Prior to turning pro, Kypson achieved great success in his junior career, winning the 18-and-under nationals in 2017, which earned him a wild card into the US Open. He reached the quarterfinals of the US Open juniors in 2016 (falling to Felix Auger-Aliassime) and the Wimbledon juniors semifinals. He teamed with Auger-Aliassime to win the doubles title at the USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Niceville, FL in 2016. Kypson played one season at Texas A&M and earned All-American honors during that time.
DENIS KUDLA
We’re excited to welcome Denis Kudla back to the Tiburon Challenger. Kudla was a semifinalist last year (retiring in the third set against Ben Shelton) and a finalist in 2015. He reached a career high ranking of 53rd in singles. In addition, he’s represented the U.S. on the Davis Cup team, and has recorded wins over players including Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev. Kudla’s had a strong run in recent weeks, reaching the round of 16 in doubles at the US Open with Vasil Kirkov (losing 7-5 in the third to the second-seeded team of Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek). He also reached the round of 16 in mixed doubles with Alicia Parks and defeated the team of Coco Gauff/Jack Sock in the first round. Just over a week ago, Kudla won the singles title at the Columbus Challenger, losing only one set en route to the title.
THAI-SON KWIATKOWSKI
Thai-Son Kwiatkowski is a 28-year-old player from
Charlottesville, VA. He won the 2017 NCAA singles Championship, and his UVA
team won three national titles while he attended. He won the Challenger in
Newport Beach in 2020 and followed that up with by winning the doubles title at
the Challenger in Indian Wells, where he teamed up with Denis Kudla. He reached
the semifinals of the 2019 Tiburon Challenger.
GARRETT JOHNS
Garrett Johns is a 22-year-old player from Atlanta, GA, and
is currently a redshirt senior at Duke University. He was an NCAA All-American
in singles in 2023. Johns won the singles title at the USTA Pro Circuit event
in Memphis in 2022 and the ITF Futures in Monastir, Tunisia in 2023. He also
won the doubles titles in Wichita, KS, Tulsa, OK, and Gandia, Spain in 2023.
Most recently, he qualified for and advanced to the round of 16 at the Challenger
in Cary, NC, losing to Zachary Svajda.
OMNI KUMAR
Omni Kumar
is a 21-year-old player from Mountain View, CA. He achieved a career-high
ranking of 355. In August, he qualified for and reached the round of 16 at the
ATP event in Winston Salem, defeating world #55 Botic van de Zandschulp in the
round of 32.
AIDAN MAYO
Aidan Mayo is a 20-year-old player from Sacramento. He’s
reached a career-high ranking of 373. In 2023, he reached the quarterfinals of
the USTA Pro Circuit event in Bakersfield, CA, and Calabasas, CA. He then
reached the finals of the ITF Futures in Xalapa, Mexico, losing in the final to
Ernesto Escobedo, and reached the finals in Tabasco, Mexico. This summer, he
reached the quarterfinals of the Challenger in Lexington.
ETHAN QUINN
Ethan Quinn
is a 19-year-old from Fresno, CA. Enrolling a year early, he won the 2023 NCAA
Singles Championship in his freshman year at the University of Georgia. That title
earned him a wild card into the 2023 US Open. In 2022, he and Nicholas Godsick
won the doubles title at the 18-and-under nationals, earning them a wild card
into the main draw of the US Open doubles.
Quinn won his first USTA Pro Circuit event in 2022,
capturing the title in San Diego, and followed that up with a title in
Champaign, IL. In 2023, he won the title in Wichita. Just last week, Quinn
reached the quarterfinals of the Challenger in Charleston.
FEDERICO AGUSTIN GOMEZ
Federico
Agustin Gomez, a 26-year-old Argentinian, is playing in the Tiburon Challenger
for the first time. In September, he reached the round of 16 of the Columbus
Challenger after advancing through the qualifying rounds and defeated 2023 NCAA
Champion Ethan Quinn in the round of 32. Gomez reached the quarterfinals of
Challenger events in Prague (Czech Republic), Cordenons (Italy), and Liberec
(Czech Republic) in 2023. He’s at his career-best singles ranking of 386 and
his doubles ranking of 216 is near his career best.
EVAN BURNETT
Evan
Burnett, a 17-year-old American from Menlo Park, CA, received a wild card into
the qualifying of the Tiburon Challenger. He’s committed to play for the
University of Texas and will start in January 2024. In August, Burnett won his
first-round qualifying match in the Golden Gate Challenger, defeating
435th-ranked Kyle Seelig. In 2022, he captured the doubles title at both the
16-and-under USTA National Clay Court Championship and the 16-and-under USTA
National Indoor Championship.
CHRISTIAN LANGMO
Christian
Langmo, a 27-year-old American from Boca Raton, FL, returns to the Tiburon
Challenger, having qualified in 2022. Earlier in 2023, Langmo qualified for and
then reached the semifinals of the Challenger in Morelos, Mexico. He also
reached the round of 16 at the Challenger in Tyler, TX, with a first-round
victory against 84th-ranked Michael Mmoh. In September, he reached the round of
16 of the Cary Challenger, losing a three-set match against 76th-ranked Rinky
Hijikata.
Langmo played
collegiate tennis at the University of Miami, where he played 1st singles his
senior year. He was ranked as high as fourth nationally in USTA 18-and-under
rankings.
NISHESH BASAVAREDDY
Nishesh
Basavareddy, an 18-year-old American player from Carmel, IN, plays at Stanford
University and was an ITA All-American his freshman year. In July, he reached
the round of 16 at the Chicago Challenger, with a first-round win over Steve
Johnson.
He won the 2022 US
Open junior doubles title with Ozan Baris. Basavareddy was ranked as high as 5th
in the world in ITF junior rankings.
ALEXANDR COZBINOV
Alexandr
Cozbinov is a 28-year-old from Moldova. In May, he won the ITF Futures event in
Monastir, Tunisia. In July, he qualified for the Golden Gate Challenger and
reached the round of 16 before losing to eventual champion, Constant Lestienne.
Cozbinov played
collegiate tennis at UNLV, playing both 1st singles and doubles. In
the juniors, he was the top-ranked player in Moldova.
AUGUST HOLMGREN
August
Holmgren is a 25-year-old from Denmark. He has represented Denmark in Davis
Cup. Earlier in 2023, he won the ITF Futures event in Nottingham, England, and
reached the quarterfinals of the Challenger in Braunschweig, Germany.
Holmgren played
collegiate tennis at the University of San Diego, where he was a two-time
All-American and was ranked as high as 1st in the country in NCAA
tennis (December 2021).
LEARNER TIEN
Learner Tien comes to Tiburon after an exceptional junior
career. This past summer, as a 17 year old, he won the 18-and-under
national title (Kalamazoo) for the second straight year. Prior to Tien's
back-to-back titles, the last two players to win repeat titles at Kalamazoo
were Zach Svajda (2022 Tiburon Challenger champion) and Jack Sock (2012 Tiburon
Challenger champion). Tien's titles in 2022 and 2023 earned him wild cards into
the US Open. While he had a tough draw in the men's singles (facing Francis
Tiafoe in the first round), Tien reached the finals of the US Open
juniors. He's enjoyed just as much success
internationally, reaching the finals of the Australian Open juniors (and
won the doubles title), the semifinals of the French Open juniors, and the
quarterfinals of Wimbledon juniors. Tien turned pro this past summer
after playing one semester at USC. He won both singles and doubles of the USTA
Pro Circuit event in Irvine in July. In doubles, Tien has often paired
with fellow OC-native Alex Michaelsen and the two won the Malibu USTA Pro
Circuit doubles title in November 2022.