Félix Auger-Aliassime | Cruel, the fourth place

(Paris) Whether it’s by a hundredth of a second in sprinting, ten centimeters in rowing or half a point in diving, fourth place is always cruel. Now imagine that’s your result after an 18-hour week of tennis.

It twists the guts.

Félix Auger-Aliassime left Philippe-Chatrier Stadium with a broken heart on Saturday night. He lost 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to Lorenzo Musetti in the bronze medal match. The two were tied late in the third set, until the Italian managed to break the Quebecer’s serve.

You will tell me that Félix Auger-Aliassime did not play all these hours in vain. That he will still return to Montreal with a beautiful bronze medal, won in mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski. Absolutely – and he is very proud of it. Go take a look at his smile on the podium. Even an 8-year-old child who is mistakenly given a second helping of cotton candy is incapable of reaching this level of happiness.

Except that Félix Auger-Aliassime also wanted to win a medal in singles. He believed in it after beating two of the ten best players in the world, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev.

“It’s hard when you’re on a high. There are so many good things that happened all week. You’re in the semifinals. You see yourself winning the gold medal. You imagine a lot of things. Then, losing the last two games [en simple]it’s difficult. I have mixed feelings. I’m proud of my work and that of my team. I played good tennis. I beat good players, but I didn’t have the level to go all the way. There’s a little disappointment.

The result is all the more painful because this medal was within his reach. If his first set was bad, his second was remarkable. We saw again the imperial Félix of the beginning of the week. Until 3-3 in the final set, we felt he was in control. Then his 18 hours of tennis began to weigh heavily. To get into his body.

“During my broken serve, my legs gave out a little. We had just had some tough rallies. Our level of play and our intensity had increased.” Here, a ball too long. There, a ball at the net. The match was decided on two or three faults. “It was very close, very equal until that break. After [ça s’est gâté] a little bit physically, a little bit mentally, and in terms of decision-making. I could have been more alert at certain times. But let’s give [ce qui lui revient] to my opponent, he has been on fire for a few weeks.

Félix Auger-Aliassime summed up his week in one word.

Unique.

It’s true that the media attention was great. The pressure, too. At the last Games, in Tokyo, things went very badly. A reserve player eliminated him in the first round. He wanted to make people forget that failure. Then there were those 11 (!) matches in one week, an unusual load for him.

“Even though doubles matches aren’t as physically demanding, you still have to show up, prepare and serve. I’ve been serving so much this week that my shoulders are a little tight. The good news is that my body held up well, although by the end of the week, with the mental fatigue, I wasn’t quite myself.”

The recovery period will be short-lived. On Sunday, Félix Auger-Aliassime will cross the Atlantic to participate in the National Bank Open in Montreal. Despite the work overload, there is no question of withdrawing from this home tournament. “I don’t want to miss this. If I were injured, it would be something else. I’m touching wood that things continue to go well.”

He told us that he was really looking forward to seeing the reception Montrealers would give him. The athletes may have us believe that they live in a bubble, that they are impervious to the city’s rumors, but after a crazy week like last week, let’s just say that the bubble is a little less hermetic and that the rumor is making its way. Félix Auger-Aliassime knows very well that you have been following his exploits all week.

“It’s a great accomplishment to be an Olympic medalist, and I was close to a bronze medal. [en simple] also. Everyone at home has [suivi] this journey with great attention. The Olympic Games don’t just reach tennis fans, but everyone. I’m not yet aware of the impact it will have on my career or on my notoriety. Not that I attach much importance to it, but I’m curious to see the impact. To know what kind of emotions I made them experience during these Games.

Next meetings: at the IGA stadium, Tuesday, for the doubles, then Wednesday, for the singles.

The most beautiful postcard

Did you watch the men’s road cycling race on Saturday? Wow! The most beautiful postcard of Paris.

Three loops in the central districts. As many passages on the Montmartre hill. In front of the Moulin Rouge, French cancan dancers encouraged the runners. On the stairs of the Sacré-Cœur, thousands of supporters crowded. From the Saint-Martin canal to the Invalides, passing by the Garnier opera, the streets along the route were crowded.

With 30 kilometers to go, I took the first metro to get to the finish line, at Trocadéro. On the platforms and in the trains, Parisians were following the race on their cell phones. Remco Evenepoel, already the winner of the time trial, was happily heading towards his coronation when, 3.8 km from the finish, bam, a flat tire. Of all places, in front of the Louvre pyramid. Was he going to be dethroned?

The Belgian, panicked, clapped his hands furiously for a new bike. A member of his team gave him one. Too big. It was surreal. Meanwhile, his closest pursuer, Valentin Madouas, was closing the gap. The arteries of Paris were vibrating. His heart too.

In the end, Evenepoel managed to stay on his bike and maintain his lead. He slowly crossed the Pont d’Iéna to stop dead at the finish line, and raise his arms to the sky, in front of the Eiffel Tower. A dream image for the photographers, gathered in the heights of the Trocadéro. A highlight of these Games. The Frenchmen Valentin Madouas and Christophe Lambert accompanied him on the podium.

A test full of twists and turns, accessible free of charge to all locals, in a spectacular setting, that’s what we like.

This is the spirit of the Games.