"You’re fighting against the odds": Felix Auger-Aliassime on discovering his Togolese roots

Felix Auger-Aliassime gave a personal interview in which he spoke about his Togolese roots and how they have shaped his perception of heritage and identity. The 25-year-old player is the son of a Canadian mother and a Togolese father, and his visits to the African country have had a profound impact on his life.

“He met my mum, and they had a great time [in Togo]. And then moving to Canada,” said the 2025 Paris Masters runner-up to The Guardian. “It was different for him. It was difficult, because all of a sudden you have to come and work. You don’t want this to be a failure. You don’t want to move to Canada and […] just end up, I don’t know, bouncing from jobs not achieving something.”

The world No. 7 has invested in humanitarian organisations and fundraising efforts to help thousands of people in Togo. Auger-Aliassime first visited his father’s homeland when he was 13 years old, and since then, his trips have been regular as a way to stay connected to his roots.

“It opened my eyes,” he said. “I had heard stories, but it opened my eyes to the reality of what my dad faced growing up — the conditions. And you’re fighting against the odds. If we’re in a race with the rest of the world, you’re starting further behind [in Togo] than, let’s say, we are in Canada. So I thought to myself, if one day we can come back as a family and do something.”

Since 2020, Auger-Aliassime has made significant financial contributions through his #FAAPointsForChange initiative, donating $5 for every point he wins on Tour. His partner BNP Paribas triples that amount, with funds going towards schools, sports equipment and even university scholarships for young Togolese students — directly impacting around 2,700 people.

“You imagine how it is, but it’s not quite the reality,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I saw that their difficulties didn’t change the fact that people had good spirits. They had smiles on their faces, they were positive, and everybody was kind to each other.

“At the same time, I saw the conditions — how many kids were in one class, up to 50 children in one classroom. The material was not the same at all. The infrastructure is adapted to the conditions there, but nowhere near the level of what we have in Canada or in countries in Europe. That was eye-opening.”

“We’re transitioning now to helping the best students get scholarships to go to university. Often what happens is that they drop out. Even if they’re brilliant, they leave school because they need money and education is too expensive. So we get scholarships for higher studies, and I believe it’s going to pay off.”

Auger-Aliassime’s most recent visit to Togo came in 2024, a period that preceded a noticeable improvement in his level and consistency. “It was not like I was losing all the time,” he explained. “But for sure there were months where I was thinking: ‘OK, what’s my tactical approach with my game?’ Once I got the physical things sorted out, it was like: ‘OK, now I’m healthy again. How am I playing?’ The challenge is to make that as consistent as possible.”

The Canadian began the 2026 season at the United Cup, where he teamed up with teenage sensation Victoria Mboko, but the pair were eliminated in the group stage. In his singles matches, Auger-Aliassime defeated Zhang Zhizhen (6-4, 6-4) before falling in the second tie to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs (4-6, 2-6).

Auger-Aliassime used the United Cup as his sole warm-up event ahead of the Australian Open, where he appears to be one of the few players capable of challenging the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.