"Because of people like Arthur Ashe, Yannick Noah and the Williams sisters, people like me can dream to play at a high level in a sport like tennis" - Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime paid tribute to players of color who came before him in a recent interview. The Canadian made special mention of Arthur Ashe, Yannick Noah, Venus Williams and Serena Williams, and thanked them for opening doors for future generations of tennis players.
Speaking with tennis journalist Mike McIntyre during his stint at the 2022 Rotterdam Open, the World No. 9 discussed the importance of Black History Month. Black History Month is celebrated in the US and Canada throughout February every year to "remember the important people and events in the history of the African diaspora."
Auger-Aliassime regards it as an "important part of history" and was more than happy to get the opportunity to thank everyone who stood at the forefront of the fight against racial discrimination.
"In tennis, there are big, big pioneers like Arthur Ashe, Yannick Noah and the Williams sisters. I like to think that because of these people, people like me and others can really believe and dream to play at a high level in a sport like tennis," Auger-Aliassime said. "[Black history month] is an important part of history and I am happy that we are paying tribute to these great people."
Not only is Felix Auger Aliassime a rising star on the court, but the 21 year old is a role model off it as well. I asked him this week in Rotterdam about the importance of Black History Month and he payed tribute in his answer to those who inspired him to pick up a racquet. https://t.co/NZ9FQvFW1D
The 21-year-old opined that it was good practice to take some time during the year to remember all those "great people." He remarked that it is only because of their struggle that kids all over the globe have the belief to achieve "all the things they want to do".
"It is really important to take a moment some time in a year to pay tribute to some other people who paved the way for a kid like me, and other kids in any other place in the world, to believe that they can have an impact internationally, that they can do all the things they want to do."
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rotterdam to win his first ATP tour title
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the final of the 2022 Rotterdam Open to win his first ATP tour title.
Auger-Aliassime broke the Greek in his first service game on Sunday to take an early 2-0 lead in the first set. Following that, a series of holds from both players led to the Canadian taking the set 6-4. The 21-year-old broke early again in the second set to take a 2-0 lead and then broke the top seed in his penultimate service game to eventually take the second set 6-2.
In his 9th final, Felix Auger Aliassime wins his first title at last in Rotterdam, beating #4 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-2.
Huge performance and FAA's 3rd straight top 15 win. Considering his previous finals (0-16 sets), just shows how much he has progressed over past 8 months.
Having defeated World No. 13 Cameron Norrie in the quarterfinals and World No. 7 Andrey Rublev in the semifinals, the victory in the final against the World No. 4 marked Felix Auger-Aliassime's third successive win against players ranked in the top 15. The victory also meant the Canadian snapped his eight-match losing streak in ATP finals.