Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime is convinced that he will return to success soon, since his health problems seem to be behind him.
Thursday, during an interview with the TSN network, the 22-year-old tennis player explained that his knee no longer made him suffer. “FAA” has been plagued by a joint injury for quite a while this season, which notably led to its elimination in the first round of the prestigious Wimbledon tournament.
• Read also: Tennis: Eugenie Bouchard will play in Montreal next month
• Read also: WATCH: Denis Shapovalov is engaged
“Things are much better,” Auger-Aliassime said. I went to Wimbledon thinking it was going to hold up and I’d be okay. Unfortunately, I felt pain towards the middle of the match.
“I did what I had to do to heal myself. Right now, my knee is fine. I’m back on the field and I’m ready to fight with the best.
The 12e player in the world will return to action at the end of the month at the Citi Open, where he will be the fourth seed. He will then be one of the headliners of the National Bank Open in Toronto.
“When everything is OK physically, I am convinced that I can attack the next tournaments with the same ambitions that I have always had. My standards are not lower,” Auger-Aliassime said confidently.
Motivated by Alcaraz
The Montreal native also returned to the clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slam final on grass. The 20-year-old Spaniard won in five sets against the holder of 29 major singles titles.
“It awakens my competitive side, said Auger-Aliassime about the coronation of the world number 1. I also allow myself to speak for the other players [du circuit]. We don’t want to let him win every tournament. It motivates me to do the right things.”
Canada’s top-ranked Canadian has consistently gotten the better of Alcaraz, defeating them three times in four career encounters. He also signed a win against Djokovic last September. “FAA” also keeps an excellent memory.
“My victory against him at the Laver Cup was superb. It gave me a big boost of confidence.”