Michael Mmoh is making big wins at Grand Slams a habit. The American was a big winner in Round 1 of the 2023 US Open thanks to his 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 upset of No. 11 seed Karen Khachanov on Tuesday.
This year, Mmoh has found his way into Grand Slam main draws by somewhat unconventional means; at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, he was a lucky loser—meaning he lost in the final round of qualifying but got a second chance in the main draw when someone else withdrew—and in New York, he's a wild card. But he's made his presence at the majors felt nonetheless.
HIGHLIGHTS: Mmoh def. Khachanov, Round 1
At January's Australian Open, Mmoh, 25, had his best-ever Grand Slam result by reaching the third round, where he came from two-sets-to-love down in his Round 1 win over Laurent Lokoli and then upset No. 12 seed Alexander Zverev in Round 2. At Wimbledon, he knocked out No. 11 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the opening round.
Here, he too knocked out the No. 11 seed, who hadn't played singles since Roland Garros. Mmoh is now 4-1 against Top 20 players this year.
After missing three months of action earlier this year due to an injury he suffered at a hard-court tournament in Mexico, Mmoh has rounded back into form this summer. He last reached the second round of the US Open in 2020, but he lost in qualifying in each of the last two years—making his first-round win over Khachanov all the sweeter.
