Felix Auger-Aliassime reveals Roger Federer congratulated him after Rotterdam win, says "it's a nice feeling"

Felix Auger-Aliassime said that Roger Federer congratulated him after his win at the Rotterdam Open

Felix Auger-Aliassime has revealed the congratulatory message he received from Roger Federer after winning his maiden title at the Rotterdam Open last week.

The Canadian, seeded No. 3 at the ATP 500 tournament, survived a scare from Egor Gerasimov in the first round, before beating Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie in straight sets to reach the semifinals.

He fought back from a set down to beat reigning champion Andrey Rublev in the last four, before taking down top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 to win his first title in his ninth final.

Speaking to We Are Tennis, the 21-year-old said it felt great to finally get the monkey off his back, adding that Federer congratulated him on his triumph.

"It feels amazing, it's great, I mean, it's something I've been aiming for, for a long time," Auger-Aliassime said. "I was quite close a few times, like you all probably know. So to finally lift it was a special moment, very emotional moment for me and my family. Yea, a big relief."

"Yes it's true, he (Federer) sent me a message. He said to me, 'I am happy for you.' It's a nice feeling."

When asked about how he celebrated his win, the World No. 9 said he had dinner with his family and his girlfriend.

"I kept it very simple," the Canadian said. "With my family, and my girlfriend and my team and then just a nice, nice dinner, we toasted to a bottle of champagne. And then, that's it, came back to the hotel, had to pack my bags as I was leaving next morning. That's the life of a tennis player."

🔴 Rotterdam champ @felixtennis was live with us on Instagram on yesterday. Here are the highlights of this fascinating conversation. https://t.co/qKveI6gD8o

Felix Auger-Aliassime shifts focus to Marseille

The Canadian will be looking to triumph at the Open 13 in Marseille

Following his triumph in Rotterdam, Felix Auger-Aliassime traveled to Marseille to compete at the Open 13, where he is the third seed. He received a bye to the second round, where he will face home favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Victory for the Canadian would secure a quarterfinal showdown with fifth seed Ilya Ivashka. He is projected to meet Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals.

🎾 JEUDI 17 FÉVRIER 🎾 https://t.co/ACMFdo3YTO