Michelsen, Opelka replace injured Shelton, Paul in Laver Cup field
Americans Alex Michelsen and Reilly Opelka will feature for Team World at this year’s Laver Cup in San Francisco, where they are replacing the injured pair of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.
Shelton suffered a shoulder injury during his US Open third-round match with Adrian Mannarino and was forced to retire with the score at two sets apiece, while Paul struggled physically in his five-set defeat to Alexander Bublik at the same stage.
Team World are aiming to recapture the title after Team Europe triumphed in Berlin last year. Michelsen and Opelka will be joined by World No. 4 Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca and Francisco Cerundolo, under the leadership of Andre Agassi.
Spearheaded by captain Yannick Noah, Team Europe will feature Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli. The tournament takes place from 19-21 September at Chase Center.
Michelsen, who competed in the past two editions of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF last year, will make his Laver Cup debut, while Opelka returns for the first time since 2021.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]