Felix Auger-AliassimePhoto illustration The Globe and Mail. Source photo Rob Carr/Getty Images/Getty Images
Félix Auger-Aliassime will be the top-seeded Canadian man in the singles draw – No. 27 – when the Australian Open begins next week.
The Montrealer had won four tournaments in 2022 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 before weathering an injury-riddled 2023 season, which he says was “tough to know when to push and when to take a step back.” Yet he ended the year with confidence after defending his title in Basel, Switzerland, and declaring on Instagram “I’m back.”
The 23-year-old spoke to The Globe from his training base in Monaco before he travelled Down Under to start his 2024 season.
When and where were you happiest?
I’m very lucky – I have an amazing girlfriend and family. I’ve had many experiences. I had a surprise birthday last year before the tournament in Montreal when I turned 22. They really surprised me – I was shocked and teary-eyed a little bit. Everybody was there. The whole family, friends, my girlfriend. I rarely get to see everybody now that I’m travelling so much, so that was special and one of the moments where I was genuinely the happiest. Then on the court, I think winning the Davis Cup last year was my on-court happiest moment. I was just floating with good emotions, and so many great people that I needed in my career were there.
What’s your greatest fear?
It’s kind of dark. You don’t want to think about these things, but I think for anybody it’s losing somebody close to them. We probably all have that fear. But on a lighter note, I guess I’m afraid of sharks! I don’t like my feet in the ocean where I can’t see what’s underneath me.
Who’s the person you most admire?
I think sometimes we admire celebrities, but we don’t really know them right? I admire Roger Federer and I’ve met him, so I admire him even more now. But I also admire people close to me, like my parents. I admire my dad [Sam] because he came from small country in West Africa [Togo] and his path is so inspiring. He’s very hard working, determined, never complains. He was a great example for me growing up.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I’m very happy with the person that I am. I’ve been able to stay true to myself in the world that I’m living in. Sports-wise, you can look at the titles, the wins, but I think just staying the same person, and keeping all the good relationships I’ve had with old friends. I don’t want to be that person that drifts away from friends. So I’ve been very careful of that, keeping in touch with friends, messaging, whenever I’m back in Montreal, still going for dinner, going to party with them. They’re at university or moving away to different cities to work, and I’m travelling so much. So we could all drift apart easily if you don’t make any effort.
What’s your most treasured possession?
Some of my trophies because you can’t buy them. The Davis Cup trophy. My first title was special, Rotterdam. I have them in my house and it’s nice to see them and feel like this is the reward of a lot of years of hard work.
Is there a book or an author that has resonated with you?
One book that I liked was Sapiens from the historian and author, Yuval Noah Harari. I thought it was a great book about our history as humans and where we started, how we became who we are as a species. I’ve always been interested in that.
If not pro tennis, what job would you have pursued?
I’d still be in university probably figuring that out. My parents are both teachers in a way – my dad is a tennis coach, and my mom is a teacher at school. So I love the idea of giving back knowledge and making a difference in somebody’s life. I admire teachers. Right now in Quebec, there’s tension between teachers and government, and I think it would be nice to stop and recognize that they work every day to help kids to have a better future. That is a noble job. But I also thought about being an architect. I would love to understand how things are built and to have an artistic eye. My interest changes from year to year.
What’s a trait that you dislike in others?
A lack of compassion and empathy. I know it’s not always easy for us to put ourselves in others’ shoes. I don’t like seeing people who lack empathy for what others are going through. We should be open and have compassion for others.
What is a trait you dislike in yourself?
I can take things too personally sometimes, I’ve been told that by people close to me. Maybe some other athletes have that too. You need to have a certain ego to get on court and feel like you’re going to be the better player today and dominate the match. And I think this ego, you have to be able to control it, because if you get criticized or people don’t agree with you – I’ve taken things too personally before. I’ve tried to improve that over the years, take it more like positive criticism, and not take it so personally, not be too proud.
Who were your idols growing up?
On the tennis court, Federer, Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the French player, from his look as well as his play. I have a French Canadian mom, and African dad, and he has a French mom and African dad. So when I learned about those similarities – and the way he played also was very entertaining – I loved watching him growing up. And we have a good relationship now, too. It’s nice to become somewhat friends with somebody I idolized growing up. So Tsonga, Federer and Nadal were like superheroes on TV for me. But my dad was somebody I really idolized growing up. I wanted to play like him and serve like him.
What is a personality trait you wish you possessed?
You know those people who can entertain a crowd and have funny stories one after the other and are good storytellers? They light up a room and make everybody have a good time. It would be tough for me to go into any room and feel comfortable making everybody laugh. I’m not the greatest storyteller. My sister always tells me ‘your story’s too long, the punchline isn’t good.’ So that’s a trait that I would like to have.
What is the hardest thing in tennis?
I think the way that the tournaments are built is exciting for the fans and for us, too, but it’s also very difficult that you have so much uncertainty. You can lose in the first round and you may have to wait two weeks for the next tournament. It’s not like we have a schedule with 60 matches to play this year and you try to win as many as you can. The toughest part is dealing with losses. Like we play almost every week, let’s say 20, 25 tournaments during the year, and if you win five of them, that’s an amazing season, one of the best in the world. It’s tough to go into tournaments and you know there’s a rare chance that you will win it, but when you do it feels amazing.
Is it difficult with the extensive travel required in your sport?
I hear people say that, but I don’t agree. It’s not easy sometimes to adapt to the conditions and play your best, but there’s richness you get from travelling. Since I was a kid I’ve travelled to Europe every year almost to play tennis, from ages 11, 12, 13. When I was a teenager, I went to China, South America, Australia. For me, that’s amazing. I consider myself very lucky.