Felix Auger-Aliassime wins thrilling final in Open Occitanie, secures 7th career title

Felix Auger-Aliassime remains on fire at the start of 2025, securing his second title of the year after defeating Alexander Kovacevic 6-2, 6-7(6), 7-6(2) in the Open Occitanie final. This marks Felix’s seventh career title and his sixth on indoor hard courts.

The Canadian has been outstanding early in the season, winning the ATP 250 Adelaide International at the start of the year and now adding the Montpellier trophy to his collection, leaving behind a titleless 2024.

With this victory, Felix climbs to world No. 23 and extends his season record to 9-1, with his only loss coming in a surprising second-round exit at the Australian Open.

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The 24-year-old entered Montpellier as the second seed and was the first to book his spot in the final, where he faced surprise finalist Aleksandar Kovacevic. The American qualifier shocked the field by eliminating defending champion Alexander Bublik and top seed Andrey Rublev in the semifinals.

It was no easy task against Kovacevic, who put up a strong fight and saved two championship points in the second-set tiebreak. The third set remained tight until the decisive tiebreak, where Auger-Aliassime used his experience to prevail over a player contesting his first ATP final.

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“For sure, the craziest final I have played, whether I won or lost,” said Auger-Aliassime in his on-court interview. “It was a crazy match. I couldn’t have got a better start. I was feeling good, but credit to Aleks, he raised his level. I think it was a very high level on both ends, serving well. This match deserved to go three sets with the way he was playing in the second.”

The former world No. 6 now looks to carry his momentum into the Rotterdam Open, where a tough draw awaits, headlined by Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. Auger-Aliassime is set to debut against qualifier Andrea Vavassori.

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