ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

November 4, 2022

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/F. Tiafoe

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Felix. 16 wins in a row. Have you ever felt so confident or good on a tennis court?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, I mean, it's tough to find better rhythm and a better period. I have felt great not only this week but in the last few weeks, of course. 16 wins in a row is special. I have an opportunity to win again tomorrow. I'll try to seize it, but definitely it's been an amazing period (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Did you see Nick Kyrgios' tweet, I think it was yesterday, where he said, When is FAA gonna lose?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah.

Q. Considering this run you have been on, but with today's match, what were you thinking, six match points, got tight after moving through pretty comfortably to that stage?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, I didn't see the tweet. Nice from him (smiling).

We'll see when I lose. I mean, I'm not focused on that. I mean, enjoying, you know, my streak. Just showing up to every match with the same attitude and with the same fighting spirit and just focused. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying my best, and we'll see what the outcome is at the end of this week.

I know it's kind of mainstream to say, but, yeah, just taking it day by day. I know you guys have heard this many times in press conferences, but it's really the best way for me to look at it.

Today was, yeah, was a great match overall, having 6-1 and breakpoints, to double break at 5-3 and win the match, I mean, it's tough to ask for better. He just came up with some good points. There is one match point where I can be a bit frustrated with myself, missing a normal backhand wide, but I think it was important to stay cool and focus on my serve.

He played some good tennis. Then all of a sudden, he's not missing anymore. I had to earn every point. I really had to go and earn that last game.

I'm really happy the way I closed it out.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. So 16 wins in a row. What is the right balance between being tired and a confidence boost?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, my confidence is based on concrete things. First of all, I need to have discipline and preparation in the way I play. Each match I approach it in the same way.

There should be both confidence but also humility because I may lose as well. That allows me to be ready for any kind of scenario, any kind of match that can unroll. I will continue with that same set mindset.

As for the last days, well, the last round, it was difficult. Yesterday when I woke up before playing, I didn't feel in the best of shape. But when you arrive on the court you try to give the best and I found the energy to play.

But from now on, I feel better and I think I'll have the right energy to wrap up the tournament.

Q. Do you have the impression to have broken new ground, to have broken a glass ceiling in a way, psychologically or from a level of play?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: After the US Open, I could practice. I went to the Davis Cup very early. I trained a lot physically but also on the tennis courts. It pays off, actually. It bears fruit very quickly.

I have confidence in my work, in my discipline, but we never know when it will pay off. It's quite magical to see that it happens, and I'm really enjoying playing this way. I think I have reached a threshold that was during the quallies for the Masters. I managed to have consistency throughout the year. It's very precious for a tennis player.

It gave me a confidence boost, and I'm very satisfied where I stand right now in my career, and I hope to continue as much as I can.

Q. You said that you had time to practice after the US Open, and you said that this loss at the US Open, there was a silver lining in that because it helped you to get into practice. Can you talk about the work that you performed from a technical and fitness point of view?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It was hard at the US Open. I didn't feel well physically. I did not look for pretext, but it was very hard for me. It was important for me to keep my composure. It was one single day that didn't go well.

But despite all this, there were things that happened during this match, even the previous match in the first round, and there were venues for improvement. For the backhand, for instance, when I was returning. I could serve well, but then I had to break three times, four times in a match. Even when you have good servers, I can see that there is a better return game now. On the way I hit, also on my backhand, there is an improvement now. I can feel that there is less errors in my game.

Q. Every time that you were questioned on confidence boost at times, there was Laver Cup, Davis Cup, ATP Cup, all were team events. It's not by chance. Does it mean that you build your confidence with this?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It's true they are different, but they have similarities. When I'm on court, I don't play only for myself. I also play for a team. And maybe that actually is in line with my personality. When I play for co-team members I feel more focused. I manage to step up my game, to scramble hard, and to give the effort that I really need to perform.

For the Laver Cup, I think it was a trigger, because matches are expected from one's self, and my team members expected a lot from me. Same thing for Davis Cup. Being a leader of the team, I wanted to have the qualifications for my team. Same thing for the last one when I played against Djokovic. When there were crunch moments, high-pressure moments, when people depend on me, I manage to deliver, to give the best of what I can.

That actually helps me have more confidence in myself.

Q. After this great confidence boost, what helps you on court? Is it in the decision-making process? Do you think less? How do you feel it on the court at pivotal moments?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Choices are clearer, and I feel more poised. I saw it today when I was leading 0-15, 0-30. I felt confident. I felt serene. I knew that I would manage to pick up score, to play well at crunch moments.

As we saw at the end, when we feel confident, this is what happens. Even when there is a lot of tension at 15-30, 30-All, there is an important point, and I managed to find the right hit at the right moment, to be poised in my body, in my mind. I needed to be robust in my level of play.

This is what I said when I talked about the improvements that I made earlier. I feel now that there are less errors. I served well. My forehand is good. But now my return, my backhand, my dropshots, I managed to mix up my level of play, and I can count on it now.

Q. Another question on your confidence. Mats Wilander said there are two types of confidence: There's circumstantial confidence because you are on a hot streak, you have a lot of wins in a row; and the structural confidence, which is the most important one, that you acquire throughout months and years because your foundations are solid. Do you agree with this? Do you agree that the first one would feed the second one? It actually reinforces what you acquired before?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yes. It's very, very relevant what he's saying. And it's true that confidence could be something in the air that we can't pinpoint, but I thought about it after Laver Cup when I defeated Djokovic. I needed to know why I managed to win. It was not just a good day, that I was in the clouds, that I managed to serve on the right wave. No, I needed to know what worked in my level of play to defeat a player like Djokovic at the Laver Cup.

After thinking about it, when I saw what worked well, the improvements that I needed still to achieve, I managed to have structural confidence, concrete items. And I tried to continue to work like this with a lot of conviction.

It's true that we can do it on a good streak. There are still difficulties though. I managed to walk the talk and to make sure that it became real, and this is why I managed to be confident.

Q. Now you have this wonderful indoor hard court streak of wins. What about Turin now? Are you looking forward to it? Because it's the same surface, right?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, the circumstances, the conditions of the court do not change so much, so it's easier for me to adjust and to keep up the same level. There are less vagaries.

Before this week and the three last weeks, we would play with the same balls, the same conditions. Here the balls have changed, but after a few court practice adjustments, I managed to be used to it.

So that helps me on the way I play. Playing indoors is always something where I had a lot of success, and I hope to draw upon this in the future in my career.

But I hope to be an all-arounder and to be able to play well everywhere, in all Grand Slams, in Montreal or elsewhere throughout the year.