US OPEN

September 1, 2020

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/T. Monteiro

6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You will play Andy Murray. He's come through a massive, long match. What are your thoughts on him and his comeback generally, if he's someone you watched a lot growing up, someone you based your game on at all?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, well, of course he's a great champion. I'll be expecting the best from him next match. I don't want to put into my head or consider that because of the injuries or because of the surgeries he's had, the comeback he's made, that this puts me in an advantage or makes a difference on the outcome of the match.

I'm going to prepare myself for a battle. I'm going to expect the best from him. Obviously we're all glad I think to see him back. I watched the whole way of his recovery. It's good to see him playing good again and healthy. It's an honor for me, yeah, to face up with a guy like Andy.

Q. You were in your suite watching Andy a little bit, which normally you wouldn't be in the stadium watching matches. What was that experience like? Have you gone out to watch different matches over the past couple weeks?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I mean, yeah, I was in my suite waiting for my match. I just ate a little bit. Yeah, it was pretty natural to watch the match. It happened that it was my next opponent.

But I wasn't really thinking about, like, looking at anything that potentially I could use for my next match. I was just really focused on my match today.

But, yeah, it's good the setup that they have, it gives us a chance for players to watch whoever's playing on center court. It's nice.

Q. What was it like not playing Denis in the first round?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, it's different. It's not like I was going to play him every time. There's going to come a point where we're both seeded. You want to face these type of players, I want to face Denis later in the tournament. You don't want to face each other in the first round every time.

It was good to play somebody else at the US Open and finally get my first win.

Q. Saving a set point in the tiebreak, how important was it for you to avoid going to a fifth set today in this match?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I would have been ready for a fifth set. I felt good physically. I felt like I had still some, yeah, juice in the tank. But, yeah, a bit of luck, obviously a bit of mental strength trying to stay in there. I felt like he played great tennis in the tiebreaks. I didn't feel like I gave it to him.

That fourth set, it's the famous phrase of giving one more ball, throwing one more ball at your opponent. It paid off really well for me today. That was the case. Yeah, a bit of luck and a bit of grit. It went my way, so I'm happy.

Q. What was it like playing out there today without having fans? How do you pump yourself up without fans there?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, for sure, especially in a match like today where we played for a long time, almost four hours on the court, it's a long time being out there by yourself with no fans. Obviously you have your team, luckily. Sometimes you feel like a little push from the crowd would help. Just the general atmosphere also. You feel less lonely.

Still, I don't know about you outside, but on the court you still feel the tension, the electricity on the court. It's important matches. It's important moments in the match. For sure you feel like there's still some tension, even without the fans.

It would have been nice to have the fans, especially here in New York, to push you in these kind of moments.

Q. Do you recall the first time you saw Andy Murray play? What is it like to play against players like him that you grew up watching?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I don't recall the first time I've seen him play, really. That's tough. Obviously I seen him play a lot over the years.

Actually I was telling the story. I came once as a spectator to the US Open in 2011. I was just a kid. We got tickets for the US Open center court, Arthur Ashe Stadium. Andy was playing Lopez night match. I got to see him there in the third round. That was a big memory of mine. I was actually live here.

It's crazy to feel today there's not going to be a kid in the stadium watching, it's actually going to be me playing. Yeah, so it's a nice feeling.

Q. (Question about music, specifically what Denis Shapovalov is doing, and if it is a distraction or not.)

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, you would have to ask them if it's a distraction. In my case, the way I see it is you're pursuing a passion outside of tennis, which is great. It's good to be balanced and to do other things outside of the sport. I like that these guys are pursuing their passion. I think it's a great quality.

But, yeah, I don't see it as a distraction. Like a lot of people, I love music. I listen to every kind of music. Yeah, that's it on my part. You would have to ask them if it's a plus or a distraction in their case.

Q. I know you like to play the keyboard. What does it do for you?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Whenever I get a chance, I don't really play a lot any more unluckily because I'm traveling so much, and I only have access to the piano in Montreal. I don't play as much as I would like to. It's something that I enjoy, that I would for sure pursue later in my life also.

Q. What is the mood like on-site and around the team hotel? Are players worried about their health after the COVID test this week? Is there a lot of discussion about the new players association?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, well, the mood for me, obviously we're still careful. I was already very careful with my team even before everything happened, the positive cases, the withdrawal of Benoit. Obviously it's a good reminder to still be careful. Obviously it brings frustration for these players not being able to play. I feel sorry for them.

Yeah, personally I wouldn't say I'm worried but I'm careful. That's obviously how I would describe it.

As far as the new association of players, there's been a lot of discussion lately within the group of these players. It's just a start. We'll see where it goes really. I'm really young in this. I like the unity of the players. I'm for that movement, but at the same time it's just really the beginning and we'll see where it goes. I don't have more to say right now to this question.