felix auger-aliassime

Felix Auger-Aliassime was all smiles at Arthur Ashe Stadium after his latest win in New York.

“It feels even better than the first time,” he told the crowd in the immediate afterglow of victory.

The 25-year-old from Montreal had just played his way back into the US Open quarterfinal for the second time in his career, four years after he did so as a 21-year-old who was climbing world rankings to an eventual career-high No. 6.

“It feels more deserved,” Auger-Aliassime, now the world No. 27, said in his on-court interview Monday night after upsetting 15th-seeded Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the Round of 16. “I’m soaking in every moment here.”

As he should be, too. After weathering injuries and shaken confidence over this season and last, Auger-Aliassime is now the lowest-seeded player remaining in the US Open’s men’s draw at No. 25.

He’ll face eighth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT back at Arthur Ashe. 

In addition to taking down Rublev, the Canadian also upset the tournament’s No. 3 Alexander Zverev, and his performance has guaranteed he’ll move up at least nine spots in world rankings to No. 18. 

Auger-Aliassime is 2-1 against de Minaur, his only loss coming on clay last year, though he hasn’t beaten de Minaur since 2022. (He was 2-6 against Zverev and 1-7 against Rublev heading into the US Open, so it seems little stock should be taken when it comes to previous head-to-head results). 

Since Auger-Aliassime last played de Minaur, the Canadian told reporters he’s witnessed the Aussie improve.

“He now very much has the ability to step in as soon as you give him a chance and to come early in the court and to punish you,” he said shortly after he beat Rublev. “So that’s why his game’s even more complete than how it was in the past.” 

Auger-Aliassime is at his best when his forehand and serve are consistent and precise, and that’s been a major driver of his success so far in New York. During his 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win against Rublev, the Canadian had 13 aces, hit 66 per cent of his first serves and fired 42 winners.

At the end of July, Auger-Aliassime was upset in his first match at his home tournament, losing in straight sets at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers to world No. 56 Fabian Marozsan. He called it “disappointing” and “tough” to go out so quickly at home, but he rebounded nicely at his next tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals at an ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati last month before losing in straight sets to world No. 1 and defending US Open champion Jannik Sinner. 

Auger-Aliassime could earn himself a rematch against Sinner this week, since the winner of his quarterfinal plays the winner of a match between Sinner and fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. 

Wednesday marks the Canadian’s fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal, with his lone semifinal appearance at a major coming at the 2021 US Open, when he lost in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev, then the No. 2 seed. 

“At 21, you feel a bit like, ‘Oh it just happens kind of naturally,’ and you don’t question, you feel like you’re going to be in that position every year, or you feel like ‘OK, was it that difficult? I don’t know,’” he told reporters after his latest win, with a laugh. 

He’s learned a lot since then. This season, Auger-Aliassime got off to a great start, winning two ATP 250 events in January before withdrawing from an event in February and again in May due to injury. It’s why he’s much more appreciative to be among the last eight men standing at this Grand Slam. 

A seven-time ATP Tour winner, Auger-Aliassime hadn’t advanced past the Round of 64 in a major this season until now — he earned one win at the Australian Open, lost his opener at the French Open and was eliminated in the second round at Wimbledon.  

Now it’s off to the quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows, where the Canadian will try to knock off de Minaur to earn himself a second career Grand Slam semifinal appearance — and a chance to soak in even more moments of his US Open experience.