Less than 24 hours after the disappointment of losing in the boys’ doubles final with fellow Canuck Benjamin Sigouin, Félix Auger-Aliassime returned to the match court in the boys’ singles final, hoping to write a happier ending than he did three months ago in a heartbreaking three-set defeat to French’s very own Geoffrey Blancaneaux in the final of Roland Garros.
In pursuit of his first junior Grand Slam title, Auger-Aliassime barely put a foot wrong, needing just 58 minutes to become the youngest boys’ singles champion in U.S. Open history with a shutout 6-3, 6-0 victory over fifth seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia.
Auger-Aliassime Strikes First
After trading holds to open proceedings, it was unsurprisingly Auger-Aliassime, undoubtedly the more proactive and experienced of the two, who drew first blood in the fourth game, breaking the fifth seed at the third time of asking to take a 3-1 lead, having squandered the first two in Kecmanovic’s opening service game. With the sixth-seeded Canadian continuing to cruise on serve, it was only a matter of time until Auger-Aliassime further extended his lead to 4-1, by virtue of an easy consolidate of the early break.
Despite being on the defensive in the majority of the baseline exchanges, Kecmanovic was able to hold his own, mustering a hold to stay within striking distance of the sixth seed, and was soon given a pair of golden opportunities to get back on serve in the seventh game. However, any hopes of a break were soon washed away by the massive first serve of Auger-Aliassime, who utilized his booming serve to get himself out of trouble time and again, en route to a crucial hold for 5-2.
Kecmanovic did what he could to place as much pressure as possible back on the shoulders of Auger-Aliassime, but it proved to all be in vain as the Canadian secured the closely-contested opening set, 6-3, in exactly 40 minutes, with just one set separating him from potential Grand Slam glory.
Auger-Aliassime Clinches Astonishing Victory in Under an Hour
With the momentum now firmly in his favour, Auger-Aliassime was beginning to play with a greater sense of urgency and already a set to the good, the Canadian had good reason to open his shoulders and swing freely, while Kecmanovic struggled to stay afloat. As a result, it came as no surprise that the sixth seed would be the first to strike in the second set, much like in the opener, breaking with a glorious backhand winner that set the tone for the remainder of the match.
From there, Auger-Aliassime never looked back as he ruthlessly continued to put Kecmanovic under pressure, more often than not forcing the inevitable error out of the Serb. After consolidating the early break, the 16-year-old wasted no time in claiming a second as he rapidly approached the finish line, a set, and 3-0 to the good.
With the finish line in sight, Auger-Aliassime rolled to victory just minutes later, just dropping three points in the last three games to claim his first junior Grand Slam singles title with an emphatic 6-3, 6-0 victory in just two minutes shy of the one-hour mark.
Auger-Aliassime: “It Was the Best Performance I Ever Had”
Speaking to the press following his mightily impressive straight-sets victory, the ecstatic teenager was extremely pleased with his performance, adding how satisfying it was to finally make the breakthrough after squandering two championship points in the junior final three months ago at the French Open.
“It’s obviously really great [to get the win],” Auger-Aliassime said. “Yeah, obviously I’m not gonna lie. I had some nightmares about this heartbreaking final. You don’t really want it to happen again.”
“So I was really focused on going into this match. I really wanted that win. Yeah, it’s obviously a great feeling.”
“I think it was one of the best performance I have had,” he later added. “And also in the final, you never know what can happen. You know, you don’t always play your best level because you’re a bit nervous and there is something big to go get.”
“But, yeah, I just stayed really steady. My serve, first-serve percentage, was really high today. I had a few aces, so of course it helps.”
At the age of 16, Auger-Aliassime theoretically still has two more years left to compete on the ITF Junior Circuit, but as a result of his success in New York, the Canadian’s future hints that his days as an elite junior could be cut short in the near future in order to focus on competing professionally, with the ultimate goal to turn professional in a few years’ time.
“It might [change my plans] because I have already had some good wins at the pro level,” he explained. “I know I can compete with these guys.”
“And now being able to win a slam, make a final on two different surface[s], I think it might be time to go to the next level. But you never know what’s gonna happen next year. If I want to go back and play the junior Grand Slams, I will. Yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”