Canada can now boast of being one of the best tennis nations. The success is collective, but the year that is ending will have been that of consecration for Félix Auger-Aliassime, who managed to carry the hope of an entire country on his shoulders.
All qualifiers have been used since last January to describe the colossal work carried out by Félix Auger-Aliassime. So much so that even if the question arises, it was difficult for Valérie Tétreault, director of the Omnium Banque Nationale, Andréanne Martin, general manager of Tennis Québec, and Hugues Léger, general manager of Tennis Montréal, to answer when they were asked to summarize the season of the Quebec prodigy.
Félix Auger-Aliassime is only 22 years old and there are already no words to testify to his prowess. That’s how impressive he was.
“Félix, for sure, is the player of the year,” said Tétreault, shrugging his shoulders, as if that was the only legitimate answer to give. Around this table organized by The Press bringing together the most important managers of Quebec tennis, FAA was painted not only as a generational player, but also as the model that all federations would dream of having.
Felix’s year
Like Canadian tennis, Félix Auger-Aliassime has also managed to get Quebec tennis talked about abroad. The sixth racquet in the world had an exceptional year, winning four titles and two team competitions, in addition to having joined the top 10 world championship and qualifying for the ATP Finals.
Beyond his successes on the court, it is also the goodness, the exemplarity and the accessibility of the young man who made him the model he has become. “He understood his role as an ambassador,” says Tétreault.
Martin, who has been around Auger-Aliassime for a long time, also insists he has never denied or forgotten where he came from. He proved it last summer during his time at the National Bank Open. “We saw it at the stadium with the Quebec teams. For Tennis Quebec, it’s candy. »
Moreover, she points out that the impact of FAA has been felt at Tennis Québec. Clubs and academies are able to see that the Quebecer’s performance is already increasing the number of registrations. “The impact is even greater because he’s consistently delivering results,” she says.
Léger supports this idea. Having made a career in management and marketing, it is obvious to him that “victories are the best marketing factor” and Félix Auger-Aliassime knows how to win.
It will please your mother, your brother, your neighbor. It has a very wide reach and that’s for sure a huge advantage.
Hugues Léger, General Manager of Tennis Montreal
Tétreault also recalls that “we’ve been talking about Félix for a long time as the next Federer”. “I remember he was 14 and everyone on the planet was talking about Felix as the future number one. The fact that he was able to live up to expectations at 22 is all the more impressive, she says. She still thinks that fans were impatient with Auger-Aliassime: “He was 19 or 20 years old and we thought things weren’t going fast enough. »
He nevertheless ignored the critics by going at his own pace. Which paid off, assures Martin: “He knew that at some point, it was going to unlock. I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan, I know it’s here for a long time. »
A new man
As Tétreault suggested, Auger-Aliassime has had to live with a ton of pressure since he was a teenager. His nine consecutive defeats in the final of ATP tournaments also provided good ammunition to his detractors.
“Before 2022, the label Félix had was that of the guy who loses in the final and he managed to get rid of that label. »
With his title in February in Rotterdam and his three triumphs in a row in Florence, Antwerp and Basel, no one has the right to doubt his abilities, argues Martin. “We always felt that Félix was in a process and that everyone around believed in it, him first. »
Even his losing streak in the final was undoubtedly formative, believes Léger. “The progression has been more consistent and I think what he’s been through has strengthened him. »
Now, the three speakers are unanimous: the next step for the gentle giant will be to win a Grand Slam title.
In tennis, the seasons are long and the rests are short. In 2022, Auger-Aliassime sowed something immense; 2023 could be the harvest year.