Félix Auger-Aliassime was one point away from claiming his first junior Grand Slam title three times on Sunday, missing a chance to become the youngest junior French Open champion in history. Following his defeat, the 15-year-old from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, spoke about the defeat and showed some optimism looking forward to what should be long and career.
Advice from a legend
Despite being only 15 years old and likely having many more shots at winning big titles, Auger-Aliassime still took the defeat hard, saying, “I am disappointed. Lots of emotions. I was not far from winning the Grand Slam, so a lot of frustration, that's for sure.”
However, following the match, the young Canadian received some encouragement from former French Open champion Yannick Noah. The 1983 champion came on court after the final to speak to Auger-Aliassime conqueror Geoffrey Blancaneaux but had some encouraging words for the Canadian too. The Montreal-native explained that “He encouraged me. He told me the road ahead of me is still long and that I've already worked a lot. I have to continue on the same tracks and I will accomplish good things.”
Moving forward
Auger-Aliassime won’t be 16 until August, meaning he has several years on the ITF tour before he starts to make a move to the ATP World Tour. After his run in Paris, he announced to the world that he is a player to watch in the future.
However, the youngster had experienced some health problems in the past, but he says that it’s nothing to worry about. “I'm not worried about this. I'm fit. I'm healthy. These things happen. They will be solved during summer. What is this? I don't want to talk about this. I'll keep it to myself.”
When asked about what he wanted to accomplish in his career, Auger-Aliassime did not hold back. “I would like to win everything, of course.” But the Canadian is realistic about how the world works, saying, “that's part of the game. I have objectives. Well, the results will come when I've worked.”