When Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal from the French Open last week, tennis sites––including this one––quickly got to work on highlighting the new favorites for a men’s tournament that might have otherwise belonged to the Spaniard. Names like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, and Daniil Medvedev were regularly being bandied about as players to watch in Paris.
One name you probably didn’t hear on any of those lists: Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 22-year-old Canadian has a game well suited for clay and should be in peak Grand Slam breakthrough territory. Unfortunately, an iffy track record of recent results and an ill-timed shoulder injury have cast plenty of doubt on the current world No. 10.
Results-wise, Auger-Aliassime carries a mediocre 13-9 match record for 2023 int0 Roland Garros and has won more than two matches at just a pair of tournaments since the calendar flipped (Australian Open and Indian Wells). Although a disappointing showing at the Miami Open (lost 6-2, 7-5 to Francisco Cerundolo in the round of 32) gave way to optimism about a redemptive clay season, he has gone 1-3 in four matches on the surface since.
Auger-Aliassime could have benefited from some momentum with a strong showing in Lyon last week, but a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw ahead of a quarterfinal showdown with rising French teen Arthur Fils and clouded his status at the year’s second Grand Slam.
Given all the questions surrounding Auger-Aliassime’s status heading into the French Open, it’s easy to forget the impression he made one year ago. The former world No. 6 lasted to the fourth round before being knocked out in five tough sets by Nadal, the eventual champion. Remember, the Spanish legend dropped just three sets all tournament, with the Montreal-born Auger-Aliassime taking two of them. In fact, he became just the third player – after Djokovic and John Isner – to take Rafa the distance at Roland Garros.
This time around, there’s no Nadal to contend with, but no shortage of challenges still await. First up is Italian veteran and former French Open quarterfinalist Fabio Fognini. Should Auger-Aliassime get past Fognini and manage to conquer Australian late bloomer Jason Kubler in the second round, he could meet fellow 22-year-old Sebastian Korda, who had his own fourth round showdown with Nadal at the 2020 event. A trip to the round of 16 this year could bring a meeting with No. 5 seed and 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
It promises to be a tough path for Felix Auger-Aliassime, with his shoulder and recent stretch of play potentially serving as the two biggest obstacles in the way of a deep run. On talent, he should be right there among the tournament favorites in what could be a wide open tournament. Of course, if he is going to prove himself to be healthy and ready to turn his season around, there’s no better place to start than on Paris’ red clay.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
