"Hurts to lose against Carlos Alcaraz again, hurts to have hurt myself" - Felix Auger-Aliassime laments 'day to forget' vs Spaniard in French Open 4R
Felix Auger-Aliassime has voiced his deep disappointment regarding his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round of the 2024 French Open. The Canadian was attempting to reach the quarterfinals of the claycourt Major for the first time in his career, but Alcaraz dashed his hopes.
Auger-Aliassime entered their much-awaited clash with a 3-2 lead in his head-to-head record against the World No. 3. Having lost their two most recent encounters, the Canadian admitted that it would be "difficult" to beat Alcaraz but expressed belief in his ability to prevail.
However, the 23-year-old found himself outplayed by Carlos Alcaraz, as the Spaniard claimed a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory in two hours and 20 minutes to level their head-to-head record. Alongside the sting of defeat, Felix Auger-Aliassime also sustained a groin injury during the clash.
Reflecting on the match in his post-match press conference, the Canadian admitted that it was "a day to forget." Nevertheless, he refused to dwell on the negatives, highlighting his immense progress after a lengthy period of poor form.
"There have been four games, three victories, today is a day to forget, I cannot turn this into something super important. In general, there is a progression compared to a year ago or even a few months ago, it is something that I feel and that I have shown in some games," he said (via Punto de Break).
"I'm serving well again, hitting the ball well, moving well, not counting today, so there are positive things now it's time to recover and then continue doing what I do well," he added.
Auger-Aliassime also admitted that it "hurt" to lose to Carlos Alcaraz for the third consecutive time and acknowledged the added sting of his injury. However, he emphasized that his motivation remains intact, taking the loss in stride.
"I felt good this morning, my body let me down after the first set. It's bad luck, but what can I do. It hurts to lose against him again, in this tournament, it hurts to have hurt myself physically," he said.
"Even so, I remain motivated. Everything has a solution," he added. "After noticing the pain I have been able to play, a little limited, but I have been able to compete. It is nothing serious, I accept the defeat and that has not been the problem."
Carlos Alcaraz after French Open 4R win: "Felix Auger-Aliassime is a great player, the head-to-head he was up and I was looking forward to being equal with him"
Carlos Alcaraz exulted in his "high level" of play against Felix Auger-Aliassime in their fourth-round clash at the French Open, expressing satisfaction with his unwavering focus during the contest.
"I think I played a really high level of tennis. Really focused, no ups and downs in the match. That is something I am working on. I am really happy with everything, my serve, my movement, my shots," Carlos Alcaraz told the press.
The Spaniard opened up about his determination to level their head-to-head record, while also acknowledging the Canadian as a "great player."
"I know that Felix is a great player and playing great tennis. The Head2Head he was up and I was looking forward to being equal with him. I am really happy to get the win in the end," he added.
Following his win over Auger-Aliassime, Carlos Alcaraz will take on ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a blockbuster quarterfinal clash. If the World No. 3 emerges victorious, he will take on Jannik Sinner or Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals of the French Open.