In a surprising turn of events, Canada’s own Felix Auger-Aliassime had to retire from his opening match at the ABN Amro Open, succumbing to a toe injury while facing Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori on Wednesday.
The talented player from Montreal decided to withdraw after losing the second set 6-4, having claimed the first set in a tense tiebreak, 7-6 (3).
Auger-Aliassime took to social media to share his experience, revealing that a toe issue had plagued him during practice on Tuesday and flared up again during the match.
“I’ll be addressing it this week,” he penned. “It’s disappointing to exit a tournament I hold dear so soon, but my focus is on coming back strong for the upcoming event in Doha.”
The Qatar ExxonMobil Open is set to commence on February 17.
Ranked 23rd in the world, Auger-Aliassime recently captured a title in Montpellier, France, marking his seventh ATP Tour victory and his second this season.