Félix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime feels for Canadian tennis fans who are disappointed by the withdrawals of big-name players from the National Bank Open.
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic have all pulled out from the tennis tournament in the past two days. Auger-Aliassime said he understood why they pulled out, but that he understood how it would disappoint Canada’s tennis community.
“Wimbledon was not long ago, so the guys like Sinner and Alcaraz both played in the finals, and maybe other guys either picked up an injury, or were playing with an injury, they’re going to want to break at some point,” said Auger-Aliassime on Tuesday.
“Toronto or Montreal is always the first tournament of the North American swing, leading to the U.S. Open, and obviously guys are trying to peak at the U.S. Open, so every year there’s always some withdrawals.
“It’s unfortunate for the tournament, for the tournament director, the fans, because you want to see the best players play each other.”
The National Bank Open is the only ATP Tour and WTA Tour event in Canada, with Toronto hosting the men this year and Montreal welcoming the women.
Auger-Aliassime, from Montreal, is the highest-ranked Canadian on the ATP Tour’s standings, sitting 27th. Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., is one notch below him at 28th.
Jack Draper (fifth), Sebastian Korda (33rd), Jordan Thompson (36th) and Hubert Hurkacz (38th) have also withdrawn from the tournament since Sunday. This year’s edition of the National Bank Open features an expanded 12-day, 96-player format.
The withdrawals could make Auger-Aliassime’s path to a National Bank Open championship easier.
No Canadian male has won on home soil since Robert Bedard of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., won his third title in 1958. Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., came closest when he lost to Spain’s Rafael Nadal in the 2013 final.
“It won’t change much at the beginning of the tournament,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I think if I do get to the later stages of tournament, the quarterfinal stage, then you may have a better draw than if you’re playing Alcaraz, Sinner or Djokovic at that stage.
“Hopefully, you know, the draw opens up in a good way, and I play well and I go all the way.”
Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., won the women’s title in 2019.
The 24-year-old Auger-Aliassime threw out the opening pitch at Rogers Centre before the Toronto Blue Jays hosted the New York Yankees in a critical American League East matchup.
Auger-Aliassime was impressed by the size of Rogers Centre and the number of fans it could fit as he stood outside the home dugout, waiting for a photo op with Blue Jays outfielder George Springer.
“I’ve been on centre court in all the biggest stadiums in tennis, but obviously they’re much smaller, you don’t have a whole field,” he said. “From the outside, obviously the stadium is impressive, but from the inside on the field, (…) it’s like, wow, this is great.
“For me, it’s amazing to see.”