ATP | Félix Auger-Aliassime calls for “consistency” in the calendar

Tennis Canada announced ten days ago that Félix Auger-Aliassime had withdrawn for the Davis Cup elimination rounds scheduled for November.

According to the federation, the Quebecer instead wanted to “support education initiatives in Togo”, as he has done in the past. However, the motivations behind Auger-Aliassime’s withdrawal go well beyond his humanitarian commitment.

The 21st^e world-ranked player was preparing to enter the home stretch of the season when he gave an interview to The Presslast Thursday, from his residence in Europe. He was getting ready to go to supper. The sound of dishes echoed from the dining room into his bedroom.

Over the next few weeks, Auger-Aliassime will participate in tournaments in Antwerp, Basel, Paris and Metz before ending his season. He will therefore skip the final of the Davis Cup, a prestigious international competition won by Canada in 2022.

The idea has been running through the 24-year-old’s head for a long time, because “it’s difficult for the team, for Tennis Canada.” But because of the heaviness of the schedule and the short periods of rest, “this is the decision that I consider to be the best to make for the longevity of my career,” explains Auger-Aliassime.

Injured due to work overload between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he refuses to relive the same nightmare. In his opinion, the authorities must look into the phenomenon of accumulation of tournaments and their positioning in the calendar. Otherwise, the product offered to the public will suffer a little more each year.

“It is not today, by talking to each other, that we will change things in terms of the ATP calendar, but a lot of players have talked about it this year, [Carlos] Alcaraz in particular. I love tennis, I love playing, that’s not the point. The thing is more that people on the ATP tour and the Davis Cup competitions need to talk to each other. There has to be consistency,” he confides.

Auger-Aliassime had already started his reflection during the summer, he assures. “I had planned and warned in advance that there was uncertainty about me playing at the end of the year if we were qualified and that I was going to make a decision after the competition in September. And looking at the calendar, my position in the ranking today, looking at my priorities, the choice became quite logical. »

Take a step back

Two years ago, at this time of year, Auger-Aliassime won the Florence, Antwerp, Basel and Davis Cup tournaments in the space of a few weeks.

“This winning streak was fantastic, we don’t regret it,” insists the Quebecer. But in the months that followed, his body gave out. Various injuries linked to fatigue and poor preparation forced him to be absent for several weeks.

So, when he focuses on the calendar and the preparation necessary to be able to bounce back in 2025, it makes no sense for him to push the bill until mid-November. By justifying himself, he also invites the authorities to review their priorities.

“How much time do we have between the end of the season and the start of next year? It starts already at the end of December with the United Cup, which gives ATP points, which begins on December 27. And the Davis Cup final is on November 24. So it’s just three weeks. To give an explanation to the general public, I think everyone understands that it’s…” he ends abruptly, hesitating before going further.

“In fact, it needs to be reviewed, it goes further than that. At the Davis Cup, there would be a way to rethink the format or rethink the competition, because a tennis world cup deserves to have a better space in the calendar. Or not to play it every year and make it a little rarer. There are plenty of things that can be explored that haven’t been explored yet. This is why players, like me, find themselves in a position to say that this year, I am not playing the Davis Cup. »

End of season

Auger-Aliassime will be remembered for the 2024 season thanks to her bronze medal won in mixed doubles alongside Gabriela Dabrowski at the Paris Olympic Games. Medal stored in his living room, still in the original case.

He also came within one round of achieving the same distinction in singles against Lorenzo Musetti, but had to settle for fourth place.

“Every time I think about it, see photos, it’s an incredible memory. It’s certain that it will be especially special at the next Games. I’ll look back and say it was just good memories, but for now, I’m on other goals. Myself, my team, my family, we have moved on. Life goes on. »

And it continues in Europe, in tournaments played on hard surfaces, indoors, an environment in which the Quebecer excels.

Dissatisfied with his season in certain respects, because he did not manage “as in the past to string together several victories in a row”, Auger-Aliassime still came close to ecstasy, notably in the final of the Masters 1000 in Madrid, in May, against Andrey Rublev.

The key, for the right-hander still in search of a first title this season, comes down to better preparation. “We put things in place in our physical preparation, in my daily training, even in tournaments. We changed our approach a little, I still do physical preparation and recovery sessions which are more precise. »

At the end of his sixth full season on the ATP circuit, “we know my body a little better, we know that there are areas that can be fragile compared to my composition,” he notes.

He swears that he is “in a good dynamic”, to spare his body in the long term.

“In scheduling tournaments, I try to do something that makes sense to me. I want to have a long career where I enjoy playing tennis for as long as possible. »