Félix Auger-Aliassime full of hope for Roland-Garros

Smiling, relaxed in his gray Adidas sweater and ready to set the stage for the second grand slam of the season.

For 3 years, he had never arrived in Paris so well prepared and confident. In six clay-court tournaments this season, he has reached the quarter-finals four times, in his last four stops.

If he identifies Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas as the quartet of favorites to win at the end of the fortnight, he places himself humbly in the first hunting group.

I like to count myself among the players who can give themselves a chance of winning, with [Alexander] Zverev, and other top 10 players who are playing very well too, claims the 21-year-old. I hope it shows in my results, as I’ve shown in other grand slams and in the last two tournaments I’ve played on clay.

Now that he got his hands on a first ATP title this winter in Rotterdam, does he feel ready to win a major tournament?

Yes, he said, before clarifying his thoughts. You don’t know it until you win it, but this year, for example, my quarter-final in Melbourne against Medvedev, I feel like I could win it. Afterwards, it would have been Tsitsipas, whom I have already beaten and then the final is a match.

Compared to the opponents I face and hang on to, I feel that my level of tennis doesn’t need to be much stronger to win a grand slam. Afterwards, the difficulty is to be consistent over the seven games, to be physically and mentally well to beat high quality opponents. I don’t think I’m physically, mentally or tennis-limited to win a grand slam.

He demonstrated this no later than Friday in Rome. In front of an electric Roman audience in the evening, he heated Novak Djokovic for two sets, lost 7-5, 7-6, in a duel which lasted 2 h 9 min.

If Auger-Aliassime admits that he took pleasure in facing Djokovic for the first time in competition, we felt a certain regret in his voice.

I would have liked to spend more time on the court and I was hoping to find a way to find myself in the third set, that’s why I believed in it until the end. Matches like these, you do not see the time passing. Looks like the match lasted barely 20 minutes. I was hoping to play more spectacular shots and maybe even win the match.

One thing is certain, he will not lack motivation at Roland-Garros. Although he reached the junior final in 2016, Auger-Aliassime has never won a singles main draw match.

He forfeited in 2019 due to injury, then lost in the first round against the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in 2020 and against the Italian Andreas Seppi in 2021. This finding, with a still small sample, does not seem to shake him in the slightest. .

It doesn’t bother me at all because it’s also happened to players stronger than me, philosopher the big right-hander. I know it will pass and I hope so this year. I also had similar moments in Australia when I lost in qualifying and in the first round, and finally I made an eighth and a quarter the next two years. Same thing at the US Open. It’s the truth. And it’s not alarming or something that bothers me.

Ready to challenge young Carlos Alcaraz

Since his arrival at the ATP, Félix Auger-Aliassime has very rarely been overtaken in the world rankings by people younger than him. In fact, only two players have done so. The Italian Jannik Sinner, briefly in 2021 and 2022, and Carlos Alcaraz, 19, installed at the 6th level in the world for a few weeks.

Auger-Aliassime and Alcaraz have already played their first act, won after retirement by the Quebecer in the quarterfinals of the United States Open last September.

If the beast to be tamed has greatly evolved since then, Auger-Aliassime is ready for the challenge.

I would like to play him again this year because there he is constant and established, says Auger-Aliassime. He’s going to be very, very strong in the years to come and I’m going to love being in competition with him to win the biggest tournaments. I think I deserve my place on his level with the others.

The 9th player in the world believes that the young Spaniard has particularly improved his service and physical skills in recent months. Alcaraz worked hard during the off-season to be at the top by 2022. The rewards are multiplying.

The teenager already has two Masters 1000 titles and five in total.

He has lots of good qualities, describes Auger-Aliassime. He does everything well and doesn’t show too many weaknesses. Carlos has always had a good forehand, with the drop shot variation he does well. It’s not easy for a player not to know if he is hitting the forehand hard to make a winner or bunt. It’s a great strength in him.

Alcaraz and Auger-Aliassime cannot technically face each other before the round of 16 given their world ranking.

The Quebecer therefore has a much better chance of facing a French player in the first rounds. For the first time since 1997, no Frenchman is seeded. But Gaël Monfils would have been, had it not been for his withdrawal due to injury.

And some musketeers who made it rain and shine at Roland-Garros will be there for the last time, this is the case of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon. Athletes who are always warmly supported by the Parisian public.

I always like to play in good atmospheres, but I don’t necessarily want to face a Frenchman quickly, analyzes Auger-Aliassime. If that happens, I will enjoy it, but above all to win and move on to the next round above all else.

I also hope, if I advance in the tournament, to have the support of the public by being the French-speaking representative in the table in the top seeds, he adds. Maybe I can count on the support of the public. A grand slam is always special and we always experience privileged moments. There is an extra motivation to try to win. I hope to live beautiful moments during the next 15 days.

He hopes to make a living from it on the pitch, but he is already taking full advantage of his season on clay. The life of a tennis player can be tough, but sores pass better when you can visit the good restaurants and tourist sites of the major European capitals between matches.

It seems that Paris has some good restaurants.