AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2022

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/A. Davidovich Fokina

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

THE MODERATOR: It's been a great day for you today. Tell us a bit about it.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah. Yeah. A great day, a long day, more than four hours on the court, so definitely getting plenty of tennis so far this week.

Yeah, crazy match it was. I mean, credits to Alejandro. I mean, I know him from Juniors way back and he's a great guy, tough opponent. I feel that he's improving year after year.

He showed up with a great level today. He stayed focused. He stayed present during the match. So, I mean, yeah, just happy that it fell on my side. When you play four tiebreaks in a row and I was able to win three out of four.

THE MODERATOR: You say it's been a long day with a smile, so that's obviously a great thing for you. Talk us through what your day looks like. How does a day like today start for you all the way up until of course you start the match?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, what's funny is it starts. You just don't know how it's going to end. I mean, it started, normally, just getting my day started, warming up, and then getting ready for the match, and then you don't know how the match is going to go. That's the interesting thing about the sport.

But, yeah, today just glad that, I'm very relieved that I was able to get through.

THE MODERATOR: What do you do to fuel up for a big match like that?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I'll rest well, eat well. I mean, I'm pretty disciplined about this stuff. The Grand Slam is a tough tournament, a long tournament, physically and mentally draining, so I try to put all the things on my side to be rested and prepared for every match.

THE MODERATOR: And what goes into recovery after a four-hour match? Obviously a little different to a one-hour, for example.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, a little ice bath, just eating, but nothing special, nothing crazy.