“I’m going to need to do that every chance I get”: Felix Auger-Aliassime breaks down his keys to facing Alcaraz

Felix Auger-Aliassime produced one of the defining victories of his season on Friday night, defeating Alexander Zverev 6–4, 7–6(3) to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. Eliminated in the round-robin stage in his only previous appearance in 2022, the Canadian arrived knowing the pressure of a winner-takes-all match would test him more mentally than tactically. “You know, when the stakes are high, the mentality is crucial… You have to come in with the best belief possible.”

This run marks the peak of an extraordinary turnaround. Back in late August, Auger-Aliassime stood at No. 27 in the ATP Rankings, struggling to find rhythm. Today, after months of consistent deep runs and eleven semi-finals this year, he sits at No. 8 and has climbed to No. 5 in the live rankings thanks to his wins over Ben Shelton and Zverev in Turin.

Felix entered the decisive match against Zverev this Friday. Both players entered their final round-robin match with identical records — losses to Sinner and wins over Shelton — turning their clash into a straight fight for survival. “When the stakes are high, the mentality is crucial,” admitted the Canadian in his conversation with Tennis Channel. “It’s crucial in every match, but I think it’s of the highest importance in moments like this. I think your biggest challenge is your self-belief in these types of matches, so you have to come in with the best belief possible.”

It has been the foundation of his resurgence, and he emphasised the technical importance of his game as well: “Obviously my serve has been key. It always is indoors, but I need to stay consistent with it — that’s kind of the rock of my game. But I think it’s also about playing the right way, going for it.”

Auger-Aliassime’s transformation over the past three months has been one of the strongest narrative threads of the ATP season. After an inconsistent start to the year, he found momentum during the late-summer swing and has since maintained a steady upward trajectory. His titles at ATP 250 events and finals in Dubai and at the Paris Masters rebuilt his confidence layer by layer, and reaching the last four in Turin now validates that long-term resurgence.

His identity on court has also become clearer and firmer. The aggressive first-strike patterns that once propelled him into the Top 10 have returned, supported by a dominant serve and an improved willingness to finish points at the net. These elements, particularly lethal in indoor conditions, have re-established him as one of the toughest players to face under a roof.

Facing Alcaraz presents a familiar problem and a fresh opportunity. The Spaniard has controlled their rivalry recently, yet Auger-Aliassime’s early wins in their series remain a reminder that their matchup can be more balanced than the streak suggests.

Now he turns to a semi-final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, leader of the other group and winner of their last four meetings. Despite trailing 3–4 in their head-to-head, Auger-Aliassime enters with renewed confidence, armed with 25 career victories against Top 10 opponents—seven this year—and a level of clarity he did not always have earlier in the season.

"Whenever I see an opening, going for it without hesitation. Sometimes today I hesitated a bit — moments where I wish I’d really gone for my target and followed through to the net," he said about the clash with Zverev. “Tomorrow I’m going to need to do that every chance I get, especially against such a great player like Carlos.”

The stakes are massive: reaching the final could allow him to finish the season at his highest ranking ever, a scenario unimaginable when he was outside the Top 25 just three months ago. Whether he ultimately achieves that breakthrough, his arrival in the ATP Finals semi-finals confirms that 2025 has been a season of revival—a campaign in which belief, discipline, and an unshakeable indoor game have pushed him firmly back among the elite.