Félix Auger-Aliassime

Biography

Félix Auger-Aliassime made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where he played in the men’s singles and mixed doubles, the latter alongside Gaby Dabrowski. 

In 2022, he helped make history at the Davis Cup. His singles victory in the final against Australia clinched Canada’s first ever title in the most prestigious men’s team tennis tournament. He had been a key player throughout the Davis Cup Finals, not dropping a set in the Knockout Stage. In the Group Stage, he had upset the world number one at the time, Carlo Alcarez of Spain. 

The historic moment came at the end of what had been a breakthrough year for Auger-Aliassime. In January, he led Canada to the ATP Cup, defeating Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the clinching match of the final. He then advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. In his ninth career final, he finally earned his first ATP singles title, taking the crown in Rotterdam in February. In October, he won three straight ATP singles titles in Florence, Antwerp, and Basel. He qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time and reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 6 that he took into 2023.    

Auger-Aliassime successfully defended his title in Basel in 2023 for his fifth career ATP singles victory. In May 2024, he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Madrid Open. 

Auger-Aliassime had his first full year on the ATP Tour in 2019. In February, he became the youngest player to reach an ATP 500 final, doing so in Rio de Janeiro. He made two more finals appearances that year, at the ATP 250 events in Lyon and Stuttgart. He had an early career highlight in making the semifinals at the Miami Open, an ATP Masters 1000 event, becoming the youngest to ever get that far at that tournament. 

He earned his first Grand Slam match win when he defeated countryman Vasek Pospisil in the opening round at 2019 Wimbledon, advancing as far as the third round. For the second year in a row, he had to open the U.S. Open against fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov and dropped the match. Auger-Aliassime became the youngest player to be ranked the ATP top-25 in 20 years, peaking at No. 17.      

Towards the end of the 2019 season, he missed six weeks with a partially torn ligament in his ankle but avoided surgery. That kept him out of Canada’s early matchups at the inaugural Davis Cup Finals, but he did get in to play singles in the final against Spain as Canada finished as the runners-up. Earlier in the year, he had won the fifth and deciding rubber against Slovakia that had qualified Canada for the Cup Final.  

Auger-Aliassime made his ATP Tour debut at the Rotterdam Open in 2018. He became the first ATP match winner born in the 2000s when he defeated Pospisil a few weeks later at Indian Wells. He worked his way through qualifying to reach the main draw at the U.S. Open but retired in his first-round matchup with Shapovalov due heart palpitations brought on by the extreme heat.

Auger-Aliassime had turned pro in 2015 and became the youngest player to win a main draw match on the ITF Challenger Tour. That year, he won the junior doubles title at the U.S. Open with Shapovalov. A few months later he, Shapovalov, and Benjamin Sigouin won the Junior Davis Cup for the first time ever for Canada.

In 2016, he made the junior singles final at the French Open and the junior doubles final at Wimbledon with Shapovalov. He won his first junior Grand Slam singles title at the U.S. Open and reached the doubles final with Sigouin. In 2017, Auger-Aliassime captured his first two ITF Challenger titles to become the youngest player to crack the ATP top-200 rankings since Nadal in 2002.     

A Little More About Félix

Getting into the Sport: Played in his first tournament at age 6 and reached his first final in that tournament… Turned professional at age 14… Has been travelling around the world for competition since age 9-10… His dad was his coach until age 13, sharing his passion for tennis… Watching Canadian athletes walk behind the flag at past Opening Ceremonies made him know he wanted to do the same… Outside Interests: Enjoys reading, watching movies, playing piano, going for hikes, fan of the Montreal Canadiens… Would be an artist if he wasn’t playing tennis… Part of a project that involves giving better opportunities to young boys and girls in Togo, his father’s country of origin… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: “Respect, Humility and Hard Work”…