Auger-Aliassime conquers Brussels in three-set thriller

In the humming intensity of Brussels' indoor arena, Felix Auger-Aliassime forged a hard-fought path to victory on Sunday, outlasting Jiri Lehecka in a 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-2 final that stretched two hours and 34 minutes. The 25-year-old Canadian’s powerful serves and crisp groundstrokes carried him through a serve-dominated clash, where every point pulsed with the weight of his season’s ambitions. As the crowd’s energy swelled in the decider, his composure turned mounting pressure into a clinical edge, securing his eighth ATP Tour title with the flair of a player rediscovering his rhythm.

Overcoming tiebreak shadows

The second-set tiebreak tested Auger-Aliassime’s resolve, as he faltered on two championship points with unforced errors that briefly revived mid-season doubts. Lehecka, the 23-year-old Czech, seized the moment with booming groundstrokes, forcing a third set and echoing his own heartbreak from last year’s Antwerp final on Belgian soil. Yet the Canadian regrouped with tactical poise, mixing underspin slices to disrupt his opponent’s flat-hitting rhythm and leaning on a one–two punch of serve and crosscourt forehand to break early in the decider.

This adjustment proved decisive, as Auger-Aliassime‘s indoor hard court mastery—highlighted by 76 wins since 2020—allowed him to exploit the surface’s speed, pulling Lehecka wide with inside-out winners that opened the court for down-the-line finishers. The Czech’s big-hitting stretches kept the tension alive, but the Canadian’s sharper return positioning in the final set eroded that threat, improving their head-to-head to 2-1. Under the arena lights, the shift felt palpable, the crowd’s murmurs giving way to roars as Auger-Aliassime converted his momentum into a commanding close.

Closing the gap to Turin

Auger-Aliassime’s triumph vaulted him to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, trimming his deficit to Lorenzo Musetti to just 330 points and intensifying the scramble for the Nitto ATP Finals. This eighth career title ties him with Milos Raonic for the most among Canadian men in the Open Era, while marking his sixth on indoor hard courts, including back-to-back ATP 500 wins in Basel. With the European indoor swing unfolding, his affinity for these fast conditions positions him to build on this surge, where every rally could tip the scales toward qualification.

The victory reignites his campaign at a pivotal juncture, blending raw power with adaptive patterns that suit the low-bouncing courts ahead. As Vienna and Paris loom, Auger-Aliassime’s poise suggests a player ready to channel this Brussels energy into deeper runs, turning the race’s mathematics into tangible progress. His groundstrokes, now laced with renewed confidence, promise to carve opportunities in the tight points battles that define the late-season push.

Rising from a turbulent year

Auger-Aliassime’s 2025 has unfolded like a gripping baseline exchange, launching with titles in Adelaide and Montpellier before a mid-year form dip sparked uncertainty. Rejuvenated since late summer, he powered through to the US Open semi-finals and Shanghai quarter-finals, channeling that fire into this second crown at the Belgian ATP 250. The psychological pivot—from early promise to resilient recovery—has sharpened his mental edge, transforming crowd-fueled arenas into stages for his aggressive game.

Lehecka’s resilience added depth to the narrative, his serve-heavy style mirroring the challenges Auger-Aliassime will face in Turin. Yet it’s the Canadian’s ability to weave emotion into execution that stands out, his forehands accelerating with the tempo of a season cresting toward redemption. As the indoor circuit beckons, this Brussels breakthrough feels like the spark for a defining charge, where surface savvy and inner strength could secure his spot among the elite.