"It was one of those days where you just want to leave the court at some point because nothing is working" - Felix Auger-Aliassime reflects on his Montreal defeat to Casper Ruud
Felix Auger-Aliassime reminisced on his defeat to Norway's Casper Ruud at the Canadian Open this year. The 22-year-old was thoroughly outclassed by Ruud in the quarter-final round as he endured humiliation in front of his home crowd.
The Canadian found it difficult to comprehend the embarrassing loss and he reflected on how the memory still haunts him to date.
“That was a tough memory. I lost pretty badly in front of my fans in my hometown. It was one of those days where you just want to leave the court at some point because nothing is working, you lose hope,” Felix Auger-Aliassime told ATP.
With revenge at stake, Auger-Aliassime will face the Norwegian on Sunday in the ATP World Tour Finals, a match he hopes will go in his favor.
"I’m looking forward to the rematch and hopefully a very different scenario. I’m sure it’s going to be a hard-fought match but I believe in my chances to win," he stated.
Felix Auger Aliassime registered victory in his first meeting with the world no. 4 but suffered losses in the last two matches as the head-to-head record stands at 2-1 in favor of Ruud.
"When I got on site, it was the first thing I went for"- Felix Auger-Aliassime on having a locker in Turin for ATP Finals
Felix Auger-Aliassime arrived at the Pala Alpitour Arena in Turin and the first thing that the 22-year-old did was locate his personal locker. The World No. 6 stated that during his childhood, he was fascinated to witness top players having lockers for themselves in the dressing room.
"That’s a twist that’s special here. Having your personal locker, your face on the door. I remember seeing behind the scenes of it growing up and I thought, 'How cool is that!' to have a personal locker. And here I am. When I got on site, it was the first thing I went for," Felix Auger-Aliassime said.
The Swiss Indoors champion reminisced on his teenage years and stated that he was inspired by top players battling it out in the Finals back in his formative years.
"I remember watching (the ATP World Tour Finals) for the first time in my early teenage years. I remember just being inspired by it and feeling that it would be amazing to be a part of that. Now that I'm here it's a full-circle moment. It's really special and I hope it's not the last time," he expressed.