Félix Auger-Aliassime will start the Australian Open with the confidence of a champion. The Quebecer offered himself a first title in 2025, Saturday, just before the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, by defeating the American Sebastian Korda at the Adelaide tournament.
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This 6-3, 3-6 and 6-1 victory in the final allowed Félix to get his hands on his sixth ATP singles trophy and his first title on a surface other than indoor hard, the tournament Australian being contested on hard court too, but outside.
“Any title, it’s an incredible feeling to win it,” said Auger-Aliassime, in an interview shared by the men’s circuit. I had my fair share of struggles winning titles early in my career, so now they mean a lot. The last few months have also been difficult, so this means a lot to me.”
“First week of the year, first title, first away title… Obviously, in the past, I played well on all surfaces, but I knew that [samedi]it was a great opportunity for me. I responded and I am very proud of it,” he also rejoiced.
After a 2024 season during which he did not add any coronation to his record, the 24-year-old Quebecer celebrated this triumph by jumping on the court, before shaking his fist on a few occasions, visibly very happy with the turn of events.
We can understand it: this title could hardly have come at a better time for the Montrealer, 29e world and 5e seeded in the ATP 250 category tournament, since his next stop will be Melbourne, where the Australian Open begins on Saturday evening.
Brilliant at the right times
Félix took 1 hour 50 minutes to beat the second favorite, Korda (22e in the world), in a match during which he gave up his serve on only one occasion, in the second set.
But the best thing for Félix is that, apart from this costly break in service, he shone at the best moments. After extracting Korda’s serve for the first time in the match, in the sixth game of the first set, the Quebecer won 17 of the last 21 points of the set.
Then, he was imperial in the final set, notably thanks to his first service ball, with which he only lost one point in 14 in this set.
Five wins in a row
After losing his first match of the campaign against Croatian Borna Coric, 90e world, at the United Cup played in Perth, FAA bounced back in the most beautiful way. Auger-Aliassime has since been riding a five-victory streak.
Including one at the expense of the American Taylor Fritz, fourth on the ATP, won in Canada’s second duel at the United Cup, and another against the 12e player in the world, Tommy Paul, also from the United States, in the semi-final in Adelaide.
The former sixth player in the world has an 8-0 record against the Americans since last season.
Félix had not won in the final since his triumph in Basel, in October 2022. Thanks to this victory, he should find himself at 23e echelon of the world ranking, during their next publication.
▶ Félix Auger-Aliassime will play his first match at the Australian Open on Sunday evening or Monday night, Eastern time, against German Jan-Lennard Struff, 42e in the world.
