MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 5, 2024

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/F. Auger-Aliassime

4-6, 7-5, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Felix, you played a good match, you served pretty well. Do you have some regrets about the match? Do you think that you could do something better?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, a few things, a few things obviously. It's a long match, three sets, many games. Yeah, I think overall I served well, as good as I could.

But from the baseline and the return I felt like, yeah, there is matches where I do a little bit better, yeah, which is not finding precision as much as other times on certain shots, you know, the return, coming in early and trying to put some pressure but then not being precise. So not having this tool of mine that I can have, putting pressure on the return second serve early, and then the backhand wasn't finding as much precision as well on the crosscourts and down-the-lines.

That part, yeah, the first set was great, but then the second set, yeah, wasn't quite the best. But then at the end, yeah, just fighting with what I have, I think my serve was keeping me through the match, and I was really hoping to find a way to get a break or something. But, yeah, wasn't meant to be.

Q. In that final set, up until the final game, it felt like you were really clutch, really good at getting yourself out of trouble. How did you manage to do that? And in the last game, what was the difference of why you couldn't manage to do that?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, yeah, from the start of the third set, as soon as it started, I started, yeah, feeling some cramps, both my legs. Then it was, like, just trying to hold serves and, I don't know, had many, many thoughts.

I was a bit disappointed with how things were going. I was trying to manage it, trying to stay there, obviously knowing that I could serve well. I was just, like, every serve I've got to serve as good as I can, and I was able to until 6-5, and then, I mean, then it's not rocket science. I just, two double faults in the game, and I don't know, one more mistake probably from my part, I can't remember. And every time I had to run, every time I had to engage in a rally -- yeah, we had this long rally at 30-All, actually, and I think that was also the reason I double-faulted on match point.

Yeah, I wasn't able to win any rallies in the third set. He was deserving. I just want to say he was deserving to win today.

Q. You played a good tournament. What do you take away from Madrid? What are your sensations for Rome?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, let's see. Day by day I feel like I can look again today, even with the circumstances, there were some good moments where I showed a good level. Obviously it was a weird week with all the walkovers, but I'm going to head into next week with, you know, the same confidence I came in this week actually, this tournament, I felt like I could play well.

Rome is the same thing. I feel like it's a tournament where I have had good memories, as well, in the past. Yeah, I'm going to try to just keep going, keep doing the things I'm doing well, not put too much pressure, expectations that I need to be perfect, and enjoy. You know, enjoy the days and learn from the downs. Yeah, stay cool and take it easy, yeah.

Q. It seems like you both had your own sort of things going on that you were struggling with. With your cramps, were they just nerves? Did you know that he was struggling with some sort of illness? He said that after the match, that he'd had that all week long.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, it was a weird week. Yeah, I was also struggling with my stomach midtournament. Wasn't even sure if one day I could play. And Mensik pulled out that day.

It's, like, weird, I don't know. And then I think that, just dealing through -- I mean, credit to him, as well, and like he said, the medical staff, in his speech, because I think a lot of players, there was kind of a virus maybe in Madrid, I heard, were dealing with things, and I think all that, even though I was lucky that I didn't really play the quarters and semis, all that added up, came out today with the cramps, I think it was physically -- I haven't cramped much in my career, so yeah, I think it was just the body being tired of, you know, fighting a virus during the week, yeah.