Auger-Aliassime stays composed after Sinner setback
A calf strain shadows Felix Auger-Aliassime's return to the Nitto ATP Finals, but his measured take on the 7-5, 6-1 loss to Jannik Sinner reveals a competitor primed for the round-robin grind ahead.
Under the bright lights of Turin's Pala Alpitour, Felix Auger-Aliassime's long-awaited comeback to the Nitto ATP Finals unfolded against the relentless baseline fire of home favorite Jannik Sinner, ending in a 7-5, 6-1 defeat that tested more than just strokes. The Canadian, back at this elite year-end stage for the first time since 2022, began with sharp focus, his serves slicing low and returns probing the Italian's backhand to hold serve through the early games. Tension built as the first set stretched to 5-all, the crowd's murmurs rising with each crosscourt exchange, but a sudden twinge in his left calf changed the tempo late at 5-6, mid-leap on a second delivery.
Injury alters first-set momentum
Auger-Aliassime pushed through the pain, but his footwork turned tentative, shortening his inside-in forehand approaches and forcing safer crosscourt replies that Sinner exploited with precise inside-out backhands. The Italian, riding a wave of form, claimed 100 percent of his first-serve points in the opener—21 from 21, per ATP Stats—locking down service games and turning the set's final games into a procession. Sinner's heavy topspin kept balls dipping low on the indoor hardcourt, pinning the Canadian deep and amplifying the impact of the calf issue as rallies grew lopsided.
“No, not dangerous. I'm not too concerned. He's an amazing player. You have to give credit when the guy is just better than you,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Today he was better than me. I'll get ready for the next one.”
The second set unraveled quickly, Sinner's serve-plus-one patterns overwhelming the limited mobility, but Auger-Aliassime's poise in defeat spoke to a deeper resilience forged across a demanding season.
Rivalry deepens on familiar turf
This clash marked the fourth between the pair since August, with Sinner now leading 4-2 in their head-to-head after a tight two-set win in the Paris Masters final just eight days earlier. There, the Italian's consistent baseline depth had forced Auger-Aliassime into defensive slices and underspin returns, a blueprint that carried over to Turin where the faster surface favored Sinner's flat trajectories. The Canadian acknowledged the challenge, noting how the world No. 1's precision from the first point demanded flawless execution, his own one–two combinations disrupted by the need to protect the injury.
Yet Auger-Aliassime framed the matchup not as intimidation but as disciplined focus, absorbing the arena's energy—roars for Sinner's winners echoing off the walls—while channeling his drive into measured responses. He reflected on the mental side, emphasizing that elite tennis requires precision without fear, turning battles into calculated exchanges rather than chaotic wars.
“He's tough to beat anywhere, especially here,” Auger-Aliassime said. “He started off amazing [and] never looked back really. From the first point to the last, he was amazing. Toughest guy to beat here.”
“I've never been [afraid] because we're not going to war,” he added when discussing his approach to facing top players like Sinner. “I do put in my mind that it's a battle, a tennis battle. I'm very focused, very driven. [I’ve] never been afraid of a tennis match. [You’re] more focused when you play at this level, everything needs to be very disciplined and very precise from the first moments.”
Recovery sets stage for group tests
With the calf issue downplayed as minor, Auger-Aliassime turns to regrouping for his remaining round-robin outings in the Lleyton Hewitt Group, starting Wednesday against Ben Shelton's powerful lefty serves that demand quick returns and varied underspin to counter booming flat shots. Friday brings Alexander Zverev, whose all-court versatility and down-the-line backhands could stretch the Canadian's endurance if mobility isn't fully restored. “I've been playing him a few times this year, so I knew what to expect,” Auger-Aliassime noted of Sinner. “It's more like when you play this top level, you have to be extremely good. That's it.”
The No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings views the setback as a pivot point, his mental fortitude—honed through recent rivalries—positioning him to adapt patterns like aggressive inside-out forehands while managing the physical toll. In this eight-man crucible, where every match shapes semifinal hopes, his calm outlook promises a fighter's push forward, the Turin's swift courts awaiting tactical evolutions that could reignite his campaign.
