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CITI OPEN

July 31, 2019

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Washington D.C.

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/R. Opelka

6-4, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Speaking to a number of your peers this week, many alluded to the fact you carry yourself as an 18-year-old, mature, poised. Where does that come from? Parents, I imagine. How do you go about your business when this is new?
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: For sure, the first part, the parents, like you said. I mean, kind of just bringing the education I had, how I grew up, the values they gave me.

After all, I think that's just how I want to be known, that's how I want to be remembered when I finish my career. That's how I want to handle myself on the court. I've expressed my goals before, what I want to do in the sport.

I think whenever I step on court, I want to do everything thinking that's how I'm going to win big tournaments one day, that's how I'm going to be No. 1 in the world one day, is by handling myself like this.

That's the best way of going through matches, winning matches, going through my career. That's why it's important for me to stay that way.

Q. What's allowed you to enjoy the consistency you have, for the most part, this year? Often with young players, one of the challenges is week in, week out... For the most part you've been fairly consistent your first full year here.
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, last year I was less consistent. I wasn't able to go through a whole tournament, reach finals or even semifinals. I kind of had my breakthrough for that this year. Obviously when you have your first finals, you have the belief you can do that over again.

For sure, that's helped me a lot. With the way I was able to handle myself weeks after weeks, I think that made a big difference this year in consistency.

Q. Do you have a particular sort of mental routine during a changeover after you've lost a set, like the second set, to pep yourself up, make sure you're still mentally in it?
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think I could do even a better job. I think I'm doing fine. Sometimes I get really frustrated in my head, and I talk to myself a lot. That's kind of a habit of mine. Sometimes I'm pretty hard on myself when I'm on court.

But I think once the points start again, once I really step on court and I go to serve, I really put all of that behind me. I'm really focusing on what I have to do next to win these points.

It seems easy to say. Sometimes it's tougher to do on court with all the emotions going. As long as I can do that, that gives me, like, the best chances of winning.

Q. The crowd, you were obviously playing an American player, did you spot Canadian flags?
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, there was maybe two. I spotted two, maybe more. It's kind of special for me. I mean, you expect you play an American, if he plays in Canada it's going to be 100% for me. I'm here, it's divided, like 50/50. That's kind of special.

To receive that kind of support away from home, even sometimes in Europe or everywhere in the world, it's very special for a guy like me.

Q. You know that Vasek and Milos played a final here a couple years back. There's a bit of a history here.
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Canadian history here. Players have been playing good. Vasek tells me he loves this tournament. Milos had his biggest title here. Hopefully I can repeat that this year.

Q. It seemed like in the second set, you were a little bit frustrated. I wasn't sure if you had trouble maybe seeing Reilly's serve. You were gesturing a little bit at the lines.
FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, he was serving unbelievable. I even moved my position. I was trying to mix up the positions. Every time I was getting aced at the same spot. It was just, like, so frustrating. How did he manage to ace me on that same line again every time?

Again, I had to deal with it. I was able to come back well in the third set. It's frustrating moments in a tennis match, but that's how it is.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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