Aliassime surrenders to Wawrinka: "Any young player dreams of having a career like yours, you are a legend"

The adventure of Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250 in Montpellier has come to an end, where last night he laid down his arms in another great battle against the reigning champion of the tournament, Felix Auger-Aliassime. A high-level match that was topped off with the post-match speeches.

Especially noteworthy were the words of Felix Auger-Aliassime that always exceed the expectations of anyone listening from the other side. The Canadian not only has a gift with the racquet, but he is also a tremendous speaker since he appeared on the circuit, a person who always empathizes with his rivals, possessing values that allow him to speak so well in front of the microphone.

“Stan is an example for all of us, and it's incredible that we had never faced each other before, in fact, a few weeks ago we were discussing it in the Australian Open locker room, we saw each other and remembered that anecdote,” Montreal's native remarked about a rivalry that finally happened this Thursday. “Interestingly, it had to happen in the tournament that comes right after, it's funny. It has been a real pleasure to share the court with someone like him,” added the 25-year-old.

Talking about the match itself, Aliassime analyzed how both players warmed up as minutes passed. “I think I started serving very well at the beginning of the match, which allowed me to avoid excessively long exchanges, although I think it's something we both appreciated, trying to escape those overly prolonged rallies. Later on, as a few games went by, we started to find some rhythm, until we reached the end of the second set where the level rose significantly,” he emphasized after his 6-4, 7-6 victory.

“I felt I was playing better, that I was dominating, but with a rival like Stan, you can't relax because you know he can come back at any moment. I think today we all had a really good time, I also speak for all the people who came to watch us at the stadium,” mentioned the Canadian, who was playing his first official match since he had to retire due to cramps in the first round of the Australian Open.

Aliassime's kind words after defeating Wawrinka

While Wawrinka watched from the bench, waiting to also receive his well-deserved tribute after playing the Montpellier tournament for the last time, Aliassime still had time to give him some words that embody the emotion of the entire locker room. Gratitude to an extraordinary tennis player, one of those who leave a lasting mark.

Image

“It's true that we had never faced each other in an official match, but I know him very well, I belong to that generation that grew up watching Stan on television. We all know that he is a legendary player, all the young players dream of having a career like his. Not only because of all his victories on the court, but also because of his resilience and work philosophy, all the consistency he has shown over all this time,” concluded Felix, who will now face Arthur Fils in the next round.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Auger-Aliassime se rinde a Wawrinka: “Cualquier jugador joven sueña con tener una carrera como la tuya, eres una leyenda”