"It is special to play Rafa with Toni (Nadal) here" - Auger-Aliassime on defeating top-seed Rafael Nadal at the ATP Finals

Felix Auger-Aliassime’s red-hot streak may have hit a recent blip, but the Canadian could not be kept down for long at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The fifth seed bounced back impressively from his opening defeat to Casper Ruud at the season finale in Turin, where he defeated top seed Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-4 on Tuesday to notch his maiden victory at the prestigious season finale.

“I think having one match here, I got used to the conditions on centre court,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It helped me a lot. I felt my game was better today. My serve was great and return and backhand was much better. I was hitting it with my more consistency and quality. When I am playing like this, I have proven I can compete and beat some of the best players in the world.”

The 2022 Basel champion will take on Taylor Fritz in his final round-robin match at the Pala Alpitour as he seeks to reach the semi-finals on tournament debut.

“I am one win, one loss now. If I can get two wins, hopefully I can get through, so let’s see how it goes,” Auger-Aliassime said. “They will play it out tonight and I will be ready for Taylor in two days. It won’t be easy. He has been playing really good this year and these conditions are perfect for him.

“I will use the experience of Toni Nadal in these situations. He has been a great help to me. I have a ton of respect for him and his family. It is special to play Rafa with Toni here, but at the same time we are competitors, and we try our best."

The 22-year-old was delighted to have defeated his childhood idol Nadal for the first time in three appearances. Auger-Aliassime had come close to the feat in the pair’s most recent tour-level meeting at Roland Garros in May, but the legendary Spaniard ultimately prevailed in a five-set epic.

“I wasn’t sure If I would be here one day or if I could only dream of it,” said Auger-Aliassime. “The age difference is huge, and it proves what a champion he is and what an example because he is still here at 36, battling against guys in their young 20s. He is a great champion and has a great attitude.”