Michael Mmoh: A 'very tough' elbow injury, getting married & a resurgence in Dallas

A picture might not always be worth a thousand words, but Michael Mmoh’s smile was on Wednesday afternoon.

Following the ATP Challenger Tour event in Savannah last April, Mmoh did not compete the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. The 27-year-old, who returned last week at a Challenger in Cleveland, has not wasted any time rediscovering his form.

After battling Roberto Carballes Baena in a physical clash for two hours and 46 minutes in the first round of the Dallas Open, Mmoh earned a victory that means “more than words can imagine”.

“[It was a] very, very tough nine months. Didn't know even a month and a half ago exactly what my situation was. I had a little bit of a reoccurrence. I had a little setback with my elbow. Didn't know if I would have to go under the knife,” Mmoh told ATPTour.com. “So to be here a month and a half later at an ATP 500 winning matches is purely amazing.”

Mmoh and his team opted for the conservative route in his treatment of the elbow injury, avoiding surgery. But when it flared up again recently, the American was unsure if surgery would be inevitable.

Instead, despite missing the Australian summer, he was able to make his return last week. And after advancing through qualifying in Dallas, he will face the No. 5 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Casper Ruud, for a spot in the quarter-finals. These moments never get old for the World No. 422.

“Never, never. It's a sweet feeling,” Mmoh said. “I was just telling myself, 'What a wonderful feeling'. Even just to be in this position, win or lose. I would have signed up for this all day a month and a half ago. So I just really wanted to enjoy myself and embrace the pressure and embrace the battle. I think that's what got me over the finish line.”

For the first three months of his time away, Mmoh did “basically nothing", resting his upper body in particular. He could not even lift a two-pound dumbbell. After that, it was about strengthening his elbow, the flexor tendon and the shoulder. It was a slow build on court and despite the setback, scans showed nothing like the original injury.

“That gave me a lot of comfort that it was just maybe a little bit of inflammation, but nothing serious. So I decided to ramp it up. But one thing I did differently on this comeback compared to other comebacks is I wanted to take my time,” Mmoh said. “I could have rushed and maybe played the Australian Open, but I just wouldn't have been as prepared and probably would have lost the match and just not given myself the best opportunity to succeed. So I decided to take my time, start off with a Challenger last week.”

Mmoh, who is based at the IMG Academy in Florida, looked at players around him like Kei Nishikori.

“I learned from him. He's come back from injury so strong. And one thing I've always noticed about him is he takes his time,” Mmoh said of Nishikori, another IMG athlete. “Even though he was Top 10 in the world, he starts off with Challengers, and he's not afraid to do that. He doesn't go straight to Slams. And so I tried to learn from him. We have the same agent, too. So he's been giving me good advice, because that's the same advice he gives to Kei.”

As difficult as 2024 was, there were good moments, too. Mmoh married Klara Mrcela in September.

“It was amazing. That was the weird thing. It was for sure the toughest year on court, and for sure the most beautiful year off court,” Mmoh said. “That definitely helped settle my mind and gave me a different perspective. Honestly, I think I'm playing better tennis than even when I was on Tour. And I think through some of my support system and the people around me that really helped me get to this point.”

Mrcela played tennis for Cleveland State University, so she understands what Mmoh goes through on the court and the highs and lows of the tennis world.

“It's beautiful. She gets all the travel, she gets all the commitment I have to make and the sacrifices I have to make, and there's never a time where I feel like she's annoyed by any of the work and all the time away from her that I have to spend,” Mmoh said. “If anything, she would be pissed off if I wasn't committed enough. She really keeps me accountable, because she knows that that's the only way I'm going to get to where I want to get to.”

In September 2023, shortly before Mmoh suffered his elbow injury, he was at a career-high World No. 81, competing against the best players in the world. Although his PIF ATP Ranking is still a work in progress, the 27-year-old has missed the competition on the world’s biggest stages the most.

“Moments like this. Definitely, without a shadow of a doubt,” Mmoh said. “Playing at the highest level, being in the battle like this — win or lose — it’s just a really amazing feeling.”