Auger-Aliassime, after falling to Sinner: "I feel competitive, but the future will tell how close I am to him"
The Canadian, who leaves the US Open with his head held high, stated that "these kinds of matches are very gratifying," after putting the world number one in a tight spot.
He was close to causing an upset at the US Open, but Félix Auger-Aliassime fell short. The Canadian played a great match against Jannik Sinner, especially in the second and third sets, where he pushed the number one player to the edge but couldn't overcome the Italian, who claimed victory and secured a spot in the grand New York final (1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6). Nevertheless, the North American leaves with his head held high, as his tennis has brought him back to where he was destined to be.
The Montreal native has had a successful hard court season (reaching the semifinals in Cincinnati and US Open), boosting his confidence in his game. Now, it remains to be seen if he can maintain this level over time or if it was just a fleeting moment, something common in his career. However, the feeling is that his game has taken a leap forward. Reflecting on the missed opportunities during the match and how close he was to the Italian, he spoke during the press conference after his defeat.
Close to Jannik Sinner's level?
"The future will tell. I don't want to make too many predictions. Tonight, I just want to take a moment to enjoy the tournament and all the good things that have happened. Obviously, you build your future with the good that's in you and then try to improve little by little. So, I'm just trying to take it all in. We got some good points. At times, it was very close, dominating some sets. Of course, I feel competitive, but the future will tell how close I am to him."
Happy with his journey in this US Open
"I'm happy with many things. Because, obviously, there's the level, like my serve, my forehand, my movement on the court, my backhand too. There are many things. But I think, besides that, there's the confidence, the mentality, the conviction that I have what it takes to win these kinds of matches. Even in tough matches, like the quarterfinals, there were probably moments where I played worse, so to speak. It was still good, but it was my worst moment throughout the tournament. However, I kept believing that my moment would come and that I would return to playing at a good level. I think those types of matches are very rewarding for me. Yes, I think the mentality is something I've been working on, and it went well this week."
Ran out of gas towards the end of the match
"Physically, I'm okay. These are long tournaments and tough matches. Obviously, there will be difficulties throughout the tournament, but in the end, you know, these things happen. You have to give credit to him for handling the situation maybe better than me, and looking to the future, I hope to find myself in similar situations again and see how I can manage them better."
Grateful for the support of the fans
"It was nice. I have my perspective as a player, but I also understand the perspective of the fans watching. People know my name in the tennis world, but it's like, okay, yes, it was a good story while it lasted. Tonight, it's over, but I'm very happy to go home knowing that the crowd wanted me to continue, to keep playing well, and to keep enjoying on the court."
No comparison to his match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago
"I played much better. I served much better. It was weird. In Cincinnati, we hadn't played in years, and it was like it caught me off guard in a way. We hadn't practiced, imagine, in three years. One thing is to watch someone play, but being on the court with him and seeing how he returned shots, how fast he played, it caught me a bit off guard. Plus, I lost quickly. So that affected my game. But tonight, I was like, okay, I knew what to expect. He still had a great start, but I had much more confidence that as the match progressed, I would find a good level and be competitive."
About the missed break points in the fourth set
"It's tough. I can explain it all, but it's done. I got a slow second serve and went for a forehand shot. It could have gone in. If it had, maybe I would be in the fifth set, maybe not. I don't know. But I don't regret it. I played my way. I played my game. You know, you live and die by your decisions, right?" concludes Félix Auger-Aliassime, who won't play the US Open final but has rediscovered his best tennis.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Aliassime, tras caer ante Sinner: "Me siento competitivo, pero el futuro dirá lo cerca que estoy de él"