Auger-Aliassime: "I have never felt anything like this, I need to get tested"

Félix Auger-Aliassime has experienced the worst part of professional tennis during one of those unfortunate times when defeat is a logical consequence of a much greater problem. The Canadian spoke at a press conference after succumbing in the second round of the US Open 2026 against Karen Khachanov, and his explanation of the defeat deserves attention.

Opportunities are running out for Félix Auger-Aliassime. Having been in the top-5 of the ATP ranking for many months while the best in the world have not performed at their level, or haven't played at all, he now faces the definitive blow to his aspirations for glory, as he falls in the US Open 2026 and watches a staggering 750 points vanish from his ranking.

This marks another year in which the Canadian will not be able to explore his limits in Grand Slam tournaments, despite starting from a privileged position that is unlikely to be repeated. In the press conference, he warned that he has nothing to reproach himself for, as his defeat against Khachanov can only be explained by his physical problems, which are truly intriguing in light of his words.

This is what Félix Auger-Aliassime said after being eliminated from the US Open 2026

Auger-Aliassime reveals what physical discomfort he experienced

"It's hard to talk about anything other than how I felt physically. After a set and a half, I started to feel really unwell. I was dizzy, seeing spots, and couldn't recover. I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn't. So this is the end of the tournament for me, and now I have to start over and rethink things.

I had never felt like this before. I have had cramps before and also felt tired towards the end of some matches, but in a normal way. This was a bit abnormal. Also, I hadn't had any signs in the past few days or this morning. I'm not sure what could have happened. I'm going to have some tests done and we'll see what the results are."

Why didn't Auger-Aliassime retire from the match?

"I wasn't sure what to do. When I lost the third set, I still didn't want to stop because I thought maybe I could take a break and after 20 minutes I would feel better. But obviously, that wasn't the case, and you can't do too much. You can hydrate, take supplements, but if it doesn't go away, the opponent keeps winning points and you have to...

By the time the score was 3-0 or 4-0, I thought: 'Okay, let's finish the match and see what happens.' But at that moment, I didn't want to retire. Karen is a great player. I can't beat him or any other player in this draw feeling the way I felt today. If I can't move, then we're not talking about tennis."

It's a shame. I wish we were talking about tennis. I wish he had beaten me, and we were discussing what I could have done better from a tennis perspective, but that's not the case."

Looking ahead for Auger-Aliassime

"Now I have to think about the next tournament and see how I can play better. In the coming weeks, I should publicly announce the name of my new coach. We are making progress in that regard, but for now, I don't have anything else to say."

Now I need to process this disappointment, although it will only take me a day or two. After that, I will go home and, of course, talk to the people who help me: doctors, fitness trainers, physiotherapists, and nutritionists. And that will be it. After that, I will go back to training.

We have the Davis Cup, which is also important to me. It has been a long time since we played in Quebec, or since I played there, especially in my hometown. Now I'm looking forward to that moment."

Heartbreaking statements made by Félix Auger-Aliassime who sees his dream of doing something significant in the US Open 2026 faded and may have squandered golden opportunities this year to make a qualitative leap in his professional career.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Auger-Aliassime: "Nunca había sentido algo así, tengo que hacerme pruebas"