"I don’t want to project myself too far": Felix Auger-Aliassime surges toward ATP Finals dream

Félix Auger-Aliassime secured a crucial victory in the third round of the Shanghai Masters against Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2, as he is in the thick of the fight for a spot in the ATP Finals. The Canadian is the name that has emerged in recent weeks with a chance to reach the Top 8 before the end of the season and join the event in Turin.

Following the injury to Jack Draper—No. 9 in the Race—it seemed that the eight spots were practically secured, or that at least it would be very difficult to see changes, considering the wide gap between the 8th-placed Musetti and the rest of the pursuers. However, Auger-Aliassime's campaign up to the semifinals of the US Open allowed him to enter the Top 10 of the Race and contend for a potential place in Turin.

For this to happen, the final weeks are key, and the Canadian has been almost unstoppable. He has 11 wins in his last 13 appearances, with both losses coming against Jannik Sinner. Furthermore, three of his victories were against Top 10 players, the latest against Musetti this Wednesday in the third round of Shanghai.

He told ATP Media afterwards: “I felt like I was playing fast but I was seeing the game slow. It’s weird, you get these type of nights. I’ve been trying to work my way there. To execute it live on a match court at this stage against an opponent like this is different story than a practice. I’m very pleased because to play like this, it means things are coming along nicely.”

Auger-Aliassime has found great form in the final part of the season, which could mean seeing him in Turin if he continues to accumulate victories, with his performance this week in Shanghai being one of the key events. The 25-year-old spent much of the year hovering between the No. 20 and No. 30 positions, without being a major protagonist in the big tournaments.

However, he has achieved several outstanding results in 2025, winning two ATP 250 titles, reaching the final at the Dubai Open, and semifinals in five other tournaments—including the recent US Open, his second time among the final four at a Grand Slam.

Auger-Aliassime, who reached his career-high ranking of World No. 6 back in 2022, stated: “I feel better than my best year in 2022. I don’t want to project myself too far or anything.”

Currently ranked No. 13, Auger-Aliassime sees hope of reaching the ATP Finals, although he will have to maintain his campaign in Shanghai. The match against Musetti was key, as an Italian victory would have practically secured his spot in the Finals and could have started to rule out Auger-Aliassime. The North American's triumph now allows him to start dreaming of Turin.

Auger-Aliassime currently has 2,905 points—a distance of just over 500 points from Lorenzo Musetti (3,435 points) and Alex de Minaur (3,545 points)—the players currently holding the last qualification spots.

In the quarterfinals, he will face Arthur Rinderknech, and a win could take him up to 3,105 points if he becomes a semifinalist. The reward will be even greater if he is a finalist (3,355 points) or the champion (3,705 points). The Canadian also has a busy schedule in the coming weeks, taking advantage of the final four weeks of competition. Only two Top 20 players will play four consecutive tournaments in the coming weeks (besides Czech Jiří Lehečka), so he will have several opportunities to continue adding points—the most important being at Paris-Bercy, the last Masters 1000 of the year.