MONTREAL — Felix Auger-Aliassime’s journey at the National Bank Open, presented by Rogers, concluded before it truly began.
With a world ranking of fourth and a second seed status in a field devoid of the top two players in tennis, the universe seemed poised for him to claim the title as the first Canadian male champion of this Masters 1000 event in the ATP’s Open Era. However, fate took a sharp turn when the Montreal native announced on Wednesday that an injury would sideline him.
“I experienced an unexpected and intense pain in my back during practice on Monday,” Auger-Aliassime explained to reporters at IGA Stadium shortly before 5 p.m. “Everything was going smoothly with our preparation until that moment. Luckily, the tournament provided me with an extra day to prep, and I felt ready to play on Tuesday night if necessary. I’m grateful to my team and the doctors for their efforts to get me in the best possible shape to compete.”
“But when I came to warm up at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, I couldn’t serve at all. Competing at such a high level became impossible. Making the decision was straightforward, yet it’s heartbreaking to accept.”
This would have been Auger-Aliassime’s first match following his remarkable five-set battle against Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Given a favorable draw, fans hoped he would reach the semifinals and use this momentum as a springboard for the hard-court season.
However, after receiving a bye in the opening round, Auger-Aliassime’s momentum came to an abrupt halt. This pause was solidified when he made the tough choice to withdraw from his anticipated second-round clash against France’s Titouan Droguet.
With this decision, Auger-Aliassime became the third Canadian athlete to withdraw due to injury within a 24-hour span. He was the last Canadian remaining, following Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont. (ankle), and Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo (back), both of whom retired during their matches on Tuesday before he had to deliver his unfortunate news to the media.
“The season marches on, but the overriding feeling is one of ‘unfortunate,’ as the conditions here in Montreal were perfect for me,” Auger-Aliassime remarked. “I was excited to play in front of my fellow Quebecers. It’s disheartening, but life goes on, the season continues, and I wish the tournament nothing but success.”
Before a single ball had been served, the event had already begun to take on a troubled aura.
World No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner announced on July 24 that he would skip the NBO to focus on his health after an exhausting two weeks at the All-England Club. World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who missed Wimbledon due to a wrist injury, also could not make it to Montreal. Moreover, Djokovic, the all-time male Grand Slam leader, opted to withdraw as well.
Amid delays caused by heavy rain for qualifiers and first-round matches, the struggles continued, with Canadian players retreating one by one.
Auger-Aliassime appeared to be the player with the greatest potential to shine this week, having reached the quarterfinals at both the French Open and Wimbledon, which had propelled him to the highest ranking for a Canadian male since Milos Raonic in 2016.
Instead of gearing up for a match in Montreal, Auger-Aliassime is now set for more comprehensive medical evaluations.
“Now that the decision has been made and my tournament is over,” Auger-Aliassime shared, “I’ll undergo some tests tomorrow to see how this injury is progressing and how we can address it moving forward.”
While there’s hope for recovery in time for Cincinnati next week, he is heartbroken over missing out on this week’s action.
NBO tournament director Valerie Tetreault empathizes with his plight.
“We share Felix’s disappointment alongside the fans,” Tetreault said after Auger-Aliassime’s announcement. “No one benefits from this situation.”
“This is the worst news we could have received,” Tetreault added. “This year has been particularly challenging, especially considering what happened on Tuesday. Last year we celebrated Vicky Mboko’s success, and this feels like a complete contrast.”
This unfortunate turn ensures that the 68th Canadian Open will once again crown a champion from outside of Canada.
However, it won’t be Alexander Zverev, the top seed and Wimbledon finalist, who lost to France’s Tallon Griekspoor earlier on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Ben Shelton, last year’s NBO champion in Toronto, advanced to the Round of 32 after defeating fellow American Jensen Brooksby in straight sets.
Action on centre court will continue with a match between Daniil Medvedev and Botic Van de Zandschulp, culminating with a clash between Gael Monfils and Lerner Tien.
The absence of Auger-Aliassime will leave a lingering disappointment.
“He only gets to showcase his talent in Montreal every two years, and he was the first to arrive here,” Tetreault stated. “He was incredibly eager to win, especially with the absence of (Jannik) Sinner and (Carlos) Alcaraz. The goal was clear: to capture his first Masters 1000 title in Montreal, but life took a different path.”
