Auger-Aliassime clinches Turin spot in dramatic finale
Felix Auger-Aliassime navigated the closing tension of the race to Turin, securing his return to the Nitto ATP Finals as a key rival's bid unraveled in Athens.
The final week of the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin pulsed with high stakes, every match outcome rippling through the standings like aftershocks on a hard court. Felix Auger-Aliassime held his nerve amid the uncertainty, his consistent deep runs providing just enough margin to lock in qualification for the season-ending showcase. This second appearance, following his 2022 debut, caps a year of calculated surges and resilient comebacks, positioning the 25-year-old Canadian for another shot at the elite eight.
Pressure mounts in the qualification chase
Lorenzo Musetti emerged as the chief pursuer, requiring an Athens title to leapfrog Auger-Aliassime and earn a Turin debut, but the Italian's run ended short in the final against Novak Djokovic. The Serbian's unyielding baseline pressure, with deep crosscourt forehands pinning Musetti back, sealed the Canadian's fate without him lifting a racket that week. This twist relieved weeks of mounting tension, allowing Auger-Aliassime to reflect on a season where mental endurance matched his physical prowess, from clay slogs to indoor speed.
His breakthrough momentum built through three hard-court titles in Adelaide, Montpellier, and Brussels, each win reinforcing a one–two punch of serve and groundstroke that overwhelmed opponents on faster surfaces. These triumphs steadied him after earlier inconsistencies, transforming potential doubt into focused aggression as the year-end loomed. The psychological lift carried into bigger stages, where crowd energy amplified his drive under the lights.
Deep runs fuel late-season surge
Auger-Aliassime's second major semifinal at the US Open propelled him firmly into contention, the New York humidity thick as he dismantled Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur en route to the last four. Against Zverev's booming serves, he used inside-out forehands to stretch the court wide, forcing errors in prolonged rallies, while de Minaur's quickness met deeper, heavier returns that pinned the Australian deep. This Flushing Meadows charge, echoed by a Shanghai quarterfinal, showcased tactical adjustments like underspin slices to disrupt rhythms on the outdoor hard's subtle slide.
The Paris Masters championship match, as the season's final ATP Masters 1000, delivered the decisive push, with Auger-Aliassime winning 19 of his last 23 matches entering the Nitto ATP Finals. On the indoor courts' consistent bounce, he dictated with crosscourt redirection and down-the-line backhands, blending power with precision to outlast foes. These results not only secured his spot but rebuilt confidence eroded by mid-year hurdles, setting a form line primed for Turin's intensity.
Group stage sets tactical challenges
Now in the Bjorn Borg Group at Inalpi Arena, Auger-Aliassime joins defending champion Jannik Sinner, two-time winner Alexander Zverev, and Ben Shelton, a mix demanding sharp adaptations from the opener. As the eighth seed, he faces Sinner first on Monday evening, where the Italian's flat returns could test his serve, prompting more variety like slice approaches to vary heights and tempos. The indoor hard favors his aggressive style, allowing inside-in forehands to exploit openings against Shelton's lefty power or Zverev's baseline steadiness.
This round-robin format will probe the composure forged in the race's endgame, with each match a chance to build on US Open lessons and Paris momentum. Auger-Aliassime's second Turin stint offers redemption and growth, his unyielding baseline game ready to thrive amid the arena's electric atmosphere, eyes fixed on advancing through the group.
