TORONTO — Felix Auger-Aliassime faced a disheartening exit at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, with his pursuit of a national title concluding in just one hour and 41 minutes.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” reflected the 24-year-old Montreal native.
During Wednesday evening’s match in front of a vibrant crowd at Sobeys Stadium, Auger-Aliassime encountered a first-round elimination, succumbing to world No. 56 Fabian Marozsan with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4.
The top-ranked Canadian player, seeded 21st in the tournament, has exited the competition.
“Competing in Canada makes it even more disappointing,” Auger-Aliassime noted. “You hope to maximize your matches, and starting with a loss is always tough. I’ve faced this scenario in my career before, but it never gets easier. It’s a challenge.”
This marks the third consecutive year Auger-Aliassime has been ousted in the opening round of his national open.
Ranked No. 28 in the world, Auger-Aliassime was back in action for the first time since his round of 64 defeat at Wimbledon. Among Canadian competitors in the NBO draw, only Gabriel Diallo remains after achieving victory earlier that day.
Like Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov also faced an early exit, falling in his opening match just a night earlier.
The match began on a promising note for Auger-Aliassime, who secured an early break, leading 2-0 in the first set. He replicated this success in the second set only to be broken right back.
With a gusty wind prevailing on centre court, Auger-Aliassime faced difficulties in his serve—recording five double faults alongside two aces. “My serving wasn’t on point,” he admitted. “He simply handled the conditions better than I did.”
Auger-Aliassime felt calm and collected at the start, showing strong form in the initial games. “There are always nerves, but I thought I managed them well early on,” he mentioned. “Then it became a matter of adjusting to each other’s plays. At times, he was fearless and it paid off. Perhaps I played too conservatively.”
“That’s one perspective, but if given a second chance at this match, I’m not sure I would alter much. There were times he simply outplayed me.”
Fans erupted in cheers of “Let’s go Felix, let’s go!” rallying behind the Canadian. When he was faced with a second break point in the second set, the crowd roared in support. Auger-Aliassime made a bold move to the net, but Marozsan delivered a stunning shot to clinch the point.
Auger-Aliassime’s best showing at the NBO remains a quarter-final berth in 2022.
With his 2025 campaign abruptly finished, he bid farewell to the court with a small wave and a clap, acknowledging the fans.
“That’s the nature of the sport,” Auger-Aliassime concluded. “You can give your all—I was all in on each point today—but sometimes it just isn’t enough.”
