By Scoop Malinowski
Status: ATP no. 362. Career best ranking was 81 in 2024.
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 198
DOB: January 10, 1998 In: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
First Memory Of Tennis: I was three years old and my dad (Tony) took me out on the court. He was a professional player and he took me out on the court in Saudi Arabia. And I vividly remember some of the details of that court. And I was three years old [smiles].
Tennis Inspirations: Andy Roddick, Gael Monfils. Those were two guys that I looked up to. Andy Roddick – just something about him. I really liked his charisma playing, especially when he won the 2003 US Open. Just really gravitated towards him. And Gael Monfils… I feel like… who doesn’t like Gael Monfils? I definitely liked those two guys growing up. And I kind of modeled my game after those two guys.
First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: Kei Nishikori. Growing up at IMG, I was pretty young at the time, and he was about top 20 in the world. We ended up having the same coach. I was coached by Glenn Weiner. So I practiced with Kei. So he was one of the first top guys that I practiced with. And one of the first top guys that I met.
Last Book Read: Was Ikigai – it’s basically Japanese philosophy. Just the way they live life. Very interesting read. It was actually a book that my wife (Klara) picked up and then I ended up reading it myself. A really good book.
Current Car: Right now I’m driving a Tesla Cyber Truck (black).
Greatest Career Moment: Beating John Isner in his last match at the 2023 US Open (second round). That was a pretty special memory. The whole crowd (inside Louie Armstrong Stadium) was against me… to almost be the villain in a sense… to win that match was pretty special.
Most Painful Moment: When I got up to 80 in the world and I had one of those setbacks and I was out for nine months (2024, elbow injury suffered on a serve in a 1R match at Savannah Challenger in third set vs Aidan Mayo). It was tough timing. I felt like I built a lot of momentum really well. I felt I was in a position to crack the top 50. And then boom, I was out for nine months.
Favorite Tournaments: I actually played one of the last week in Houston. And apart from that, I really like Wimbledon. Wimbledon for sure is my favorite stop on the Tour. Indian Wells is my favorite Masters event. Favorite Tour event is Houston.
Funny Tennis Memory: I feel like tennis makes you laugh almost every day. It’s such an unpredictable sport. You never know what it will give you on each and every day. You never know what you’re going to see on a day to day basis. One specific memory? Tough to pick out one. But I just think tennis is a funny sport in general.
Strangest Match: I played one match in Australian Open against (Viktor) Troicki. And I was down 0-4 in the fifth set, double break. And he barely lost his service games in the five sets that we played. So basically it looked like the match was going to be over. When he went up the double break, he fist-pumped like he won the tournament. And then I ended up somehow winning the match (75 in the fifth). So I have to say that’s gotta be up there as one of the weirdest, most amazing wins.
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: One year I played Newport, the 250 in Newport. And I played Akira Santillan, wildcard into main draw. And I believe I lost 61 61. Just couldn’t get a rhythm in that match. Pretty tough time out there on that grass.
Funniest Players Encountered: Frances definitely. Frances Tiafoe. And one of my best friends on the Tour. Any time he comes to a site, you can hear him from a mile away [smiles].
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla.
Nicknames: People just call me Mmoh.
Why Do You Love Tennis: I love the one on one battle aspect. I love the fact that there’s nobody there, in a sense, to help you. It’s a warfare sport. Sometimes that’s the worst part of it but at the end of the day, that’s one of the parts I love the most. And one of the most gratifying feelings is getting through one of those tough wins with ups and downs, dealing with a lot of adversity. It’s such a rare sport when it comes to that.
People Qualities Most Admired: Honest. Genuine people. I try to surround myself with that type of person, character. I’ve definitely been blessed with a lot of good people… a lot of good people have helped me in my journey. The most important qualities… honesty, loyalty and how genuine you are as a human being.
Scoop’s latest book The Sarasota Open Experience is available at Amazon books for $9.99!
adidas · Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open · Michael Mmoh · Sarasota Open · USA
Scoop Malinowski · April 7, 2025 at 7:19 pm
The Sarasota Open Experience book link https://www.tennis-prose.com/bios/biofile-michael-mmoh-interview/