In August, Felix Auger-Aliassime was number 27 in the PIF ATP rankings. Three months later, he finished his season in the Top 5 after advancing to the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a thrilling end to the year, reaching a career-high ranking and establishing himself as a major force at the season-ending showpiece in Turin.
“[I feel] back where I belong. Back where I feel like I can play with more consistency,” Auger-Aliassime said on Saturday evening after the defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. “I am very happy to be part of this tournament because I have been playing like this in recent months…
“It’s a great progress I’ve made this year. I’ve always believed that my ambition was to win Grand Slams and become number 1 in the world since I was a kid. I’ve had ups and downs, but honestly I always believed that I could be there. I still believe in it today. Now it’s a matter of doing the right things to improve. If I do that, we’ll see where that takes me.”
Auger-Aliassime reached the semifinals at the US Open and then enjoyed a quarterfinal appearance in Shanghai. A title followed in Brussels and a final appearance in Paris before earning round-robin victories at the Nitto ATP Finals against Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev.
However, world number 1 Alcaraz proved to be a step too far, with the 22-year-old recording a 6-2, 6-4 victory to improve to 5-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“He serves incredibly well. He did it amazingly,” Auger-Aliassime said when asked about the Spaniard. “The rest of the game has always been good. He can change direction with both shots. He puts you under pressure in a different way. You don’t know what to expect. He plays at a very high pace. That was the most challenging for me.”
Auger-Aliassime will enter 2026 with wife Nina by his side after the couple married in September. Although he has strong support off the field, the Canadian is keen to work harder than ever.
“Everyone is good. I can’t just concentrate on these two,” Auger-Aliassime said, referring to Alcaraz and Sinner when asked about next season. “Everyone above me, below me, young guys are coming. It’s a big competition every year. You can be unlucky.”
“But when I play against these guys now, obviously the facts are a level above everyone else. Yeah, I’m going to have to do some work. I’ve never been afraid of some work, so it’s all good.”
Auger-Aliassime won titles in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels in 2025 and finished with a record of 50-24, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. It was the first time since 2022 that the 25-year-old has achieved more than 50 tour-level wins in a season.
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