NEW YORK — Felix Auger-Aliassime has made an impressive return to the semifinals of the US Open, marking the fourth anniversary of his first and only appearance in the final four at a Grand Slam tournament.
Ranked 25th, Auger-Aliassime pulled off a stunning upset against No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur from Australia, coming back to win 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4) in a gripping quarterfinal showdown on Wednesday.
Next up for him is top seed Jannik Sinner, who dominated Lorenzo Musetti with a swift 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory in an all-Italian quarterfinal during the same day.
“Four years might seem lengthy, yet in the grand scheme of life, it isn’t that vast. Reflecting on 2021, it feels like eons ago. I believe I’m a changed person,” Auger-Aliassime expressed. “Having embarked on the pro tour at a young age gives me a renewed opportunity to find my way back to the semifinals of a Slam. And remember, I’m still just 25.”
The match itself, however, was far from remarkable.
It persisted for an exhausting four hours and ten minutes over merely four sets, with a particularly grueling second set lasting 87 minutes. While moments of athletic brilliance emerged, they were often overshadowed by an excessive number of uncharacteristic errors.
Both players recorded 11 double faults; however, Auger-Aliassime countered with an impressive 22 aces compared to de Minaur’s eight.
It wasn’t the most elegant of performances, but Auger-Aliassime later credited the wise words of tennis icon Rafael Nadal, striving to apply them throughout the match.
“I once inquired about what set him apart from other talented players who didn’t achieve the same level of success,” Auger-Aliassime recounted. “He told me it was about winning matches, even on off days, allowing him to progress to the next round and stay afloat in the tournament. You can’t just dismiss it by saying, ‘Today isn’t my day; things will improve.’
“Year after year, I’ve worked on improving that mentality and minimizing self-doubt when challenges arise.”
For de Minaur, who has often found himself stymied at the quarterfinal stage of Grand Slams, this match represented the breakthrough he has been tirelessly pursuing.
However, his first-serve percentage languished at just 34 percent during the first set, despite Auger-Aliassime failing to capitalize fully.
It didn’t improve significantly, ending at 42 percent. As the match progressed, the strain of defending his second serve took a toll on de Minaur.
“Heading into this match, my serve was what usually helped me stay in contention,” de Minaur acknowledged. “Unfortunately, in crucial moments, that aspect faltered. It creates pressure across all facets of my game. I find myself relying on second serves and feeling compelled to overexert.”
“I don’t expect to serve like Felix — with his 20 aces for free points. But I need my own percentage to be significantly higher.”
Auger-Aliassime appeared to be lacking energy and sharpness early on, a stark contrast to his prior victories against No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev and No. 15 seed Andrey Rublev.
“Upon reflection, the match tempo felt different,” Auger-Aliassime noted. “My ball striking wasn’t as crisp in certain moments, and I was slow to advance during the match’s initial phase. The quality of my shots was also less precise at the start.”
Down a set and a break in the second, he made a pivotal decision to remove his cap. Whether it was sheer coincidence or a turning point, his fortunes shifted.
Unlike many players who wear caps as a staple, Auger-Aliassime rarely follows suit.
“Perhaps it sent a message to my mind that something was shifting, without getting overly philosophical about it,” he laughed.
Despite handing over a significant number of forehand errors to his opponent — 24 in total across the first two sets — he clinched the second set in a tiebreak.
And after trailing 2-5 in the fourth, with a fifth set seemingly inevitable, he rallied to seize yet another tiebreak.
Auger-Aliassime has now achieved a remarkable 14-4 record in tiebreaks throughout his US Open career.
Having struggled with only one win in three visits to Flushing Meadows since his 2021 semifinal, including a straight-sets defeat last year, this result is a refreshing change that will significantly boost his ATP Tour ranking.
Once peaking at a career-high singles ranking of No. 6 in November 2022, Auger-Aliassime has navigated the last two years outside the top 20, plummeting to No. 36 in April 2024.
Entering the US Open ranked No. 27, his current provisional ranking is now No. 13, the highest it has been in over two years.
In other news from Wednesday, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe advanced to the women’s doubles final with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 win over the second-seeded Italian pair of Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.
The third-seeded Dabrowski and Routliffe, who triumphed in the US Open in 2023, will face top seeds Taylor Townsend from the United States and Katerina Siniakova from Czechia in Friday’s championship showdown.
