AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2022

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/E. Ruusuvuori

6-4, 0-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on a fantastic effort out there. An interesting last couple of sets. What did you make of the game?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, it was not easy today, definitely. I think the score shows. Dealing with different conditions than what we've had the last few days, quite cold, windy as well. So I think there was a part of adapting to that.

I have to say, my opponent, also, I think played a great match. I always really thought highly of him. I think he's a great player and he showed it today. He made me analyze and rethink what I was doing many times in the match because he was playing well.

But at the end it's, sometimes it's like this, the first rounds, and at the end every match is tough, so I'm just glad I was able to find a way through today.

Q. I've heard lots of players say that kind of the key to tennis is not necessarily how well you're playing at your best but sort of how well you can play on a day which is tough out there. How much satisfaction do you get from a win where you really have to struggle through it rather than, say, a day where everything's just playing perfectly?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, it's like the majority of matches in a season in tennis, actually. Even the best of the best we've saw them play at a very high level at some points, but how many matches are actually during the year is everything going well and your way, maybe five, maybe 10 max on a great year. So the majority of matches actually just back and forth.

Today was really tough for me. In the middle of the match just not quite just finding the actual right way to play.

Then I think I loosened up a little bit starting from the fourth set, just started serving better, was making him move a little bit more and at the end that's it. It's a battle with an opponent and you try to figure out a way to go through, and today for sure it's important for my confidence. It was going to happen at some point in my career, to come back from being led in a Grand Slam, and it did today.

Q. When a young player like you achieves so much so young there can be kind of a rush to try and sort of see them really get to the top really quickly. Just when you analyze your progress are there milestones that you would have liked to have achieved that you haven't yet or do you really see yourself on the right track?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: No, the majority of what I've done, I can't complain. At the same time, you always, I'm never a person to be satisfied. I always want to be better. But I'm happy with my progress. I think just year after year I've just become a better player, a better person also. When I say that I mean mentally on the court. I think matches, like today, two years ago, would have probably went out in three, four sets. Today I was able to win in five.

So I think that shows my progress that I've made as a person mentally on the court. But of course, I mean, I wish I had won a lot of titles. I wish I was even higher always. But it's the reality. Also at the same time it's like this career is also accepting what you have and working to get more.