Why an American player shushed a hostile Miami Open crowd

American tennis player Alex Michelsen tuned on the Miami Open crowd following his third round win over Alejandro Tabilo.

The Miami Open is currently underway in the Hard Rock stadium, and there's already been plenty of drama.

Despite heading into the tournament as the firm favourite, world no.1 Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated in the second round, while both Novak Djokovic and Emma Radacanu were forced to withdraw ahead of the opening round.

The drama continued into the third round as young American player Michelsen dealt with a brutally hostile crowd during his match Tabilo, despite the event taking place in the US.

Throughout the match the crowd were instead showing support for his opponent and could even be heard booing the 21-year-old after the match.

The reason for the hostile reception was because Miami's location in the US means that many of the fans attending the event will support Latin American players instead of the North Americans.

Therefore, when he hit the winning shot in the third set of the match, Michelsen couldn't help himself as he turned to the crowd to taunt them with a shush, before shouting a loud 'VAMOS' at the Chilean fans.

“I like when people want me to lose,” Michelsen told reporters in Miami, via CLAY.

“I just had to hit the silencer, unfortunately."

However, Michelsen insisted that the reception only brought out the best in him and that his gesture was only aimed at a select few in the crowd that had taken things too far.

“It was a great atmosphere. I love it. I love how patriotic the Chileans are for their own. I think it’s amazing. But a couple of people were being disrespectful throughout the match,” Michelsen added.

“I love when people cheer against me, so it was a lot of fun. Whether I win or lose, I’d say the same thing I always have. It definitely helped me a lot today.”

“It’s part of what makes this tournament great. It’s the city. There are a ton of South Americans around here, and I think the atmosphere for them has been amazing."

Unfortunately for Michelsen, things aren't going to get any easier as he faces world no.2 Jannik Sinner in the round of 16, with the match taking place at 20:00GMT.