US OPEN

September 7, 2021

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/C. Alcaraz

6-3, 3-1 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on the match tonight.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, the first thing is congratulating Carlos for his fantastic tournament. I also wish him the best. I feel sorry for him. I was expecting a tough battle, the best from him of course.

I didn't see it coming. It's unfortunate to finish like this. At the same time what he's done has never been done here in the Open Era. I think he can be very proud of himself, very positive heading back with a head high.

Myself, the tournament keeps going for me. I'm happy to be through to the semifinals to give myself a shot to play for a Grand Slam final.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What did he say to you at the net?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: He didn't say much. I just told him I'm sorry for him. I didn't ask what he had. Yeah, he didn't say. He didn't say anything.

I said, You're such a great player. You're an amazing player. You've got to keep going, keep pushing. You're already doing amazing.

There's not much more to say.

Q. Did you have any sense while you were playing that he wasn't moving great?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Not so much. Maybe at the beginning of the second set a little bit. But not so much. I actually didn't know he called the physio. I was about to get up and go and play. I saw that he called the physio. I thought it's just a little something. I didn't really see anything. Either I was too focused on my game or I'm not seeing things.

Yeah, I didn't see it coming.

Q. You and Leylah both advanced to the semifinals today. What does that mean to share this moment? What does this mean back home in Canada?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, it's great. It's great for Canada. It's great for Quebec. We're both born in Montreal. I mean, I never thought a day like this would come. Both a little girl and a little boy from Montreal, both at the same time in the semifinals of the US Open. It's special. It's special. It's special for us. I hope the people back home appreciate the moment also. We do a lot.

It's great. But it would be amazing if we were both in a final, right?

Q. It seems like every year you've taken steps in your career forward. Does it feel like the right timing, something that you maybe got impatient on?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I've gotten impatient sometimes this year, last year. I had I think losses that I was disappointed with either in Grand Slams or in Masters. I think I just learned to accept them, to keep my self-belief high, to keep working well, and things would come. Have the belief that things would come, and you never know exactly when, at some point things would click and I would get a great result.

I'm happy that this tournament, on a stage like this, the US Open, to be performing the way I'm performing. At the same time I'm still in the tournament, so that's the best part, is that it's not over.

Certainly, yeah, it's already been a great tournament. I hope to do more.

Q. Looking ahead for a moment to what awaits Friday against Daniil. I believe you played just once a few years ago. What do you think will be the key for you and how different are you as a player now than 2018 in Canada?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, 2018 in Toronto. It was already a great match back then. I actually was up a break. I had a few chances. It was a tight loss.

We're both very different players. I think he was just 50 or 60 in the world at the time. I was not even top hundred. So, yeah, very different situation.

Of course, he's going to come in with a lot of confidence. I also need to step up and be confident in myself. I need to serve well. I need to play a great match, be solid from every aspect of my game.

At the same time I need to try to put pressure on him. But it's going to be tough. I need to be ready for his best. I need to lace my shoes really well, too, because there's going to be a lot of running.

Yeah, we'll see. It's going to be interesting.

Q. Can you describe what Toni has helped you work on, maybe what kind of impact that's had on your summer.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, we've been working since last December. I think it was a good decision for me. I think he's helped me improve maybe the consistency of my game, the quality of my movement, my focus. Mainly I think the big thing overall is the belief and the confidence that he brings to myself and everybody involved in my team.

I think on one part you have Frederic, my main coach, I would say has been with me since I'm very young, that knows me in every aspect of myself and my game. He has the long-term vision for me.

You have Toni that has been in the places that we want to go one day, winning these big tournaments, being No. 1 in the world. I think he brings that belief that this is something doable, something we can achieve if we do the right things, work in the right direction.

Q. Could you tell me how you feel about your serve, specifically your spot serving?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, I feel good. I feel like I'm on the right rhythm, I would say. If you look at, yeah, the numbers, I don't have the most let's say powerful serve. I think Frances last night or the other night was serving even harder than me. I just feel like I've been, yeah, hitting my spots really well, mixing the zones. I feel confident with my serve and also behind my serve.

It's a great weapon that I'm developing lately. I'll have to keep going in that direction because it's a really important aspect of my game right now.

Q. What was it like spending time at the Rafael Nadal academy? Did you have any opportunity to interact with Rafa?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: We were there in December. Also in the spring one time during the clay season with my team.

No, it's been good to work with him. He's bringing a lot of instant feedback, always pushing to do things a little bit better, but also telling me when things are good, when they're in the right direction.

Yeah, it's been great work. Every time I try to bring a lot of focus, intensity into the practices. It's been good. I think it's paying off well.

With Rafa, we actually just practiced once, if I recall, in December. We interact of course on the tour and other moments, not just at the academy. But nothing crazy.

Toni and I sometimes talk about what I could do better, what I can still improve. I think, of course, Rafa with me, he doesn't mention anything about my game.