He may spend much of the year away from home competing on the ATP Tour, but Felix Auger-Aliassime never feels too far from his roots.
The Canadian played his part in a team-event double in 2022, leading Canada to victory at the ATP Cup and the Davis Cup Finals. The pride Auger-Aliassime feels when playing for his country maintains a connection he has always felt between his childhood and his life as a pro.
“Growing up back in Montreal, Canada was a great upbringing,” the 22-year-old recently said in an interview with the ATP Tour. “My dad was a tennis coach and still is today, so he brought tennis into the family for my sister and I. So we grew up playing tennis every day after school. I had this dream of, I guess, being in the position I am today.”
Auger-Aliassime is renowned for his cool, calm and collected on-court demeanour, even when the going gets tough. Netflix’s Break Point followed the Canadian during his 2022 Roland Garros campaign, when he fell to an agonising five-set defeat to icon Rafael Nadal in the fourth round. The Spaniard went on to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time at the clay-court Grand Slam.
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Although Auger-Aliassime had come within a set of pulling off a historic victory against one of the best players in history, his mental approach ensures he does not overreact to on-court disappointment, no matter how heartbreaking.
“You’re alone out there on the court,” said Auger-Aliassime. “There’s only one guy that lifts the trophy, that leaves the tournament undefeated. It toughens your skin a lot.
“What’s always been very important for me is to have the big picture. I think that’s helped my mental health tremendously. Try to always stay positive and look at how you can use those challenges to improve.”
The Canadian played his part in a team-event double in 2022, leading Canada to victory at the ATP Cup and the Davis Cup Finals. The pride Auger-Aliassime feels when playing for his country maintains a connection he has always felt between his childhood and his life as a pro.
“Growing up back in Montreal, Canada was a great upbringing,” the 22-year-old recently said in an interview with the ATP Tour. “My dad was a tennis coach and still is today, so he brought tennis into the family for my sister and I. So we grew up playing tennis every day after school. I had this dream of, I guess, being in the position I am today.”
Auger-Aliassime is renowned for his cool, calm and collected on-court demeanour, even when the going gets tough. Netflix’s Break Point followed the Canadian during his 2022 Roland Garros campaign, when he fell to an agonising five-set defeat to icon Rafael Nadal in the fourth round. The Spaniard went on to lift the trophy for a record-extending 14th time at the clay-court Grand Slam.
[BREAK POINT]
Although Auger-Aliassime had come within a set of pulling off a historic victory against one of the best players in history, his mental approach ensures he does not overreact to on-court disappointment, no matter how heartbreaking.
“You’re alone out there on the court,” said Auger-Aliassime. “There’s only one guy that lifts the trophy, that leaves the tournament undefeated. It toughens your skin a lot.
“What’s always been very important for me is to have the big picture. I think that’s helped my mental health tremendously. Try to always stay positive and look at how you can use those challenges to improve.”