Interview: Auger-Aliassime on Team Events, ATP Finals, Facing Nadal at French

Basel, Switzerland

Felix Auger-Aliassime is deep in the hunt for his first qualification for the ATP Finals. After winning two titles in the last two weeks his chances of doing have been heightened.

I was able to sit down for a few minutes to discuss his recent form, team event superpowers, and how close he felt to beating Rafa Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier in the fourth round at the 2022 French Open.

Felix on Winning Back To Back

via ATP Tour

Q: “Last two weeks… it’s been good eh?”

Felix: “Yeah, no it’s been amazing.

I came into Florence the number one seed and I know I can play good in indoors, and I felt like since the US Open I turned things around and started training really well and playing some good tennis already in Davis Cup, right after, and Laver Cup.

I was unlucky to lose first round in Kazakhstan to [RBA] who played well. 

But I had great confidence going into Florence and then Antwerp but, you know, if you had told me I would win back to back tournaments, something I’d never done before, you know, I’m not sure that would have happened. But, it was great, yeah I played amazing tennis and I’m really happy with where I’m at now.”

Q: “So much was made about your record in Finals up until this year, do you feel like winning and getting over the line can become a habit?”

“Yeah, this year’s record is much better.

We all know how big of a relief it was to win that first title at the start of this year. Of course it put a big weight off my shoulder.

But, you know, the next finals don’t get easier, also.

I think before, I had lost finals against great players and most of the finals I lost were against players that were better than me. I lost one or two just really not been playing well at all.

And this year the last two finals have felt like at the end of the day I was a bit better, you know, the player that was a little bit better on the court, maybe more experienced and I came and delivered.

But it never gets easy to win any match and especially in finals when both guys want it so badly, it’s not an easy match to win.

Auger-Aliassime Chases ATP Finals Spot

via ATP Tour

Q:“At the beginning of your season does your team set specific goals, and was the ATP Finals one of them?”

Felix: “Yeah the ATP Finals was one of them, and I think it’s a given.

I started the year as #11 in the world, and right after the Australian Open I was Top 10 and like #3 in the race or something, so of course it’s been my goal since the start of the year, and now we are at the end, that last push to give to try and qualify in my position now, so I’ll try to give everything, but not everything is in my control you know there’s a lot of guys playing well and whoever is going to play the best is going to deserve his spot, I guess.

So I’m trying to do my part and do what I control. But of course there was other goals like winning one title or multiple, and that’s been done, so that’s a great feeling. And then overall is just playing good tennis, you know at the end of the day you just want to go out there and play your best tennis and feel like you are close to what you are working for.”

Felix on Taking Rafa to 5 Sets in French Open

Q: “How much did you believe you could beat Rafa at Roland Garros, when you were at 3-3 in 5th set, did you believe you could get over the line?”

Felix: “So, yeah it was a strange match, I mean it like in many parts because I started off really well and felt like he was a bit tense and playing short and making unusual mistakes and right away I was serving great, which is always a big help for me. And like you said I had space to come in behind my shots, finish off at the net, and it just felt like things wer going as good as they could in the first set.

And then we had a tight start to the second set, he eventually had a break point, didn’t make it, and then once he broke me for the first time I felt like things turned around then he won the set 6-3, and then 6-2, and I felt like woah, I’m seeing kind of what Rafa really is at this stage. And after I was down 2 sets to 1 I was also, got a bit tired physically, and I started not maybe believing as much that I could win, like I did in the 1st set. But, somehow things turned around, I’m not sure why or how but, I kinda got like a second wind and started playing great again, had some opportunities and took them and it’s true that when you started 5th set at that stage I did really believe that I could win, and we were on serve until the middle of it… but at the end I didn’t feel so close to winning, in all honesty because…”

“Like once he got the break?”

”Yeah because he was 4-3 up and I was serving and he just became so aggressive and he hit just - I don’t know it was like things went so fast - like he just hit amazing forehands and passing shots and then I just lost 2 games like that (snap). Him just playing amazing and me trying to hold on - and the match was gone. So I didn’t feel like I really had a clear shot, you know?”

Q: “I saw you, I remember watching the practice before that, and you were practicing up the line backhands, assuming to his backhand, and approaching with that - was that something you were preparing for?

“ Well yeah, when you play him or a lefty the backhand line is an efficient shot, I mean it allows me to kind of change direction you know when I’m in the position that’s not the best for me, and to be able to change direction and then be able to play with my forehand - or if the ball is short to be able to come in behind that backhand down the line. Also mixing it up with the drop shots sometimes. Yeah and then when you work on things sometimes they just come naturally on the court because it’s just like physical memory.”

Why Felix Auger-Aliassime Excels in Team Events

via Tennis Canada

Q: “Team events have been a super power for you this year, what do you think about that? And I chatted with Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau (pictured above), I know you know them both well, Gabe was worried about some of the rookie treatment coming in, did you guys cook up anything special for him?”

Felix: “No actually, we had to do some initiation [for him] and then we forgot to do it!

So maybe we’ll do it next time now in Malaga, but yeah team events have been great for me this year, I just feel like when I come in team events I like to take on kind of a leadership role and I feel this sense of responsibility to really give my best and to give my best performance and dig deep and that’s what I did in all of those events, and [was] able to come in clutch for my teammates when I needed to, it brought me a big load of confidence.

I think that’s helped me also throughout the rest of the year, so hopefully we can finish things off well at the end of the year.”

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