To understand the difficulty of shining at the top of men’s tennis, just reread this statement by Félix Auger-Aliassime, last Friday, after qualifying for the semi-final of the Paris tournament.
Posted at 7:45 a.m.
“It’s crazy: it’s my first semi-final in a Masters 1000 series tournament since the one [contre John Isner] in Miami in 2019. At the time, I didn’t expect to be there and I thought: “Oh my God, I’m sure I’m going to make other semi-finals in a Masters tournament ”, but in the end, it took me three years to achieve it again. »
Three years, no less! And we are talking here about one of the most gifted players of his generation. Sure, Auger-Aliassime played in an even bigger semi-final, that of the 2021 U.S. Open. onslaught and the competition is fierce.
An example: when Auger-Aliassime faced Isner in Miami, the names of Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune did not feed the chronicle. Both were only 15 years old. The Spaniard roughly occupied the 500e world rank and the Dane, the 1000e.
Their progress has been meteoric. Alcaraz won the US Open last September – as well as becoming world number one – and Rune beat Novak Djokovic in the Paris tournament final on Sunday.
Today, around the world, 14, 15 and 16 year old hopefuls unknown to the general public are honing their game and some will soon become ATP stars. This wheel spins and spins again.
That’s why I’m always amazed when people predict that such and such a player will definitely win one or more Grand Slam tournaments in his career. You know what ? Nothing is less sure.
As proof, we are still waiting for the first titles of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Denis Shapovalov, Matteo Berrettini and, of course, Auger-Aliassime. Some of them will lift a trophy, maybe even a few times.
But given the continued influx of new talent and the ever formidable presence of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (despite his injuries, the Spaniard has not said his last word), others will probably never materialize. this ultimate dream.
Tennis is more and more physically demanding. As a result, staying healthy is a daily issue. Alcaraz has to take a few weeks off due to an abdominal injury. And Zverev has been treating torn ankle ligaments for several months.
In a high-level career, you need talent and luck.
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Despite this ruthless competition, Auger-Aliassime has what it takes to win a Grand Slam title. His successes in recent weeks mark a turning point in his progress. We understood this on Sunday when he declared: “I think I have what it takes to be world number one in my career. »
To publicly discuss this scenario, Auger-Aliassime is obviously convinced of its immense potential. This is exceptional news. Because even if the analysts and the fans believe in the potential of a player, their opinion has little value if this one is not certain down to his guts.
PHOTO GABRIEL MONNET, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Felix Auger-Aliassime
It is in terms of self-confidence that Auger-Aliassime has made the most progress this season. He is now able to “close the books” at the right time.
This fall, we felt he was aggressive and confident on the pitch. He scored big points when his rivals were in the cables. Getting the winning shot, the one that boosts confidence and rattles the opponent, is the toughest challenge in a high-tension game. The young Quebecer had trouble in this regard. But it seems to have unlocked.
This is all the more commendable after its disappointments in August and September. In Montreal, the draw opened in his favor, but he lost sharply to Ruud in the quarter-finals. And at the US Open, he didn’t make it past the second round.
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This week, Auger-Aliassime ranks sixth in the ATP rankings. It is simply extraordinary.
In sports, it is sometimes said that defeat is necessary before you truly understand all that it takes to win.
Auger-Aliassime’s journey validates this theory. This has earned him frustrations over the past three years, but, paradoxically, it has strengthened the foundations of his game. This is the case on many surfaces. As proof, he forced Nadal, the king of clay, to play five sets before admitting defeat at Roland-Garros earlier this year.
All eyes are now on Turin, Italy, where the annual ATP Finals kicks off next Sunday. The eight highest ranked players compete in a round robin tournament.
As my colleague Katherine Harvey-Pinard reported on Monday, Auger-Aliassime approaches this meeting with confidence. “Obviously it’s one of the toughest tournaments to win, but I think I’ve got what it takes to be able to get there. »
This statement alone sums up the tremendous progress of Quebec sport over the past 40 years. Who would have thought possible then that a tennis player from here would say such a thing one day?