10 Things You Didn’t Know about Felix Auger Aliassime

Felix Auger-Aliassime has emerged as a future star in men’s tennis. With Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic sailing off into the sunset, the 22-year-old could be one of the top contenders as the limelight shifts its attention. Just who is this young star? Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Felix Auger-Aliassime.

1. French-Canadian Phenom

Auger-Aliassime hails from near Quebec City and is the son of a mother from the same region and a father from the West African nation of Togo. French Canada has produced many incredible sports talents, especially in the last decade or so. When it comes to tennis, the region claims the likes of Eugenie Bouchard and Bianca Andreescu on the women’s side, and Milos Raonic and Denis Shapovalov on the men’s side. Many believe that Auger-Aliassime has the potential to outshine the bunch.

2. A Sibling Who Served It Up

Felix’s sister Malika also pursued a career in tennis. She rose through the amateur ranks and had the opportunity to play in her first professional match and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tournament in 2015. She is among her brother’s biggest fans and can often be seen sitting courtside in Felix’s box. According to Tennis Tonic, Felix refers to Malika as his best friend.

3. Grand Slam Success

Despite his young age, Felix has been tested at the top level and has had a considerable amount of success. He has made it to at least the quarterfinals of three of the four grand slams, with only the French Open left off the list. His best finishes in all four tournaments came in either 2021 or 2022, showing that Auger-Aliassime is starting to string together an impressive run of finishes. To get to the semifinal of the 2021 US Open, Auger-Aliassime defeated Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, who recently hoisted the trophy at this year’s US Open. The 2021 performance marked Auger-Aliassime’s best finish at a grand slam.

4. Wins Against the Big 3

Against icons Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, Auger-Aliassime has already notched some wins. He boasts a 1-0 record against Federer, 1-1 against Djokovic, and 0-2 against Nadal. Despite not having beaten Nadal, he took the Spaniard to five sets at the 2022 French Open, where Rafa has displayed unprecedented dominance. According to Tennis.com, Nadal said after the match that Auger-Aliassime is “extremely aggressive” and hard to control due to his power and big serve. An interesting note is that Rafael’s uncle, Toni Nadal, is part of Felix’s coaching team.

In addition to his success against the Big 3, Auger-Aliassime has a 2-0 record against Alcaraz, and wins against other current Top 10s including Casper Ruud (No. 2), Alexander Zverev (No. 5), and Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 6).

5. A World-Class Friendship

One of Felix’s best friends in professional tennis is Italian star Matteo Berrettini. According to Essentially Sports, as of 2021, the girlfriends of the two players are cousins. This has led to Felix and Matteo spending time hanging out together, and the two are featured together in several Instagram photos. On the court, Auger-Aliassime has struggled to get the best of his pal, as Berrettini has come away with a win four of the five times the two have played, including in the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals.

6. Destined for Greatness

Felix is a multi-talented young man and has shown great ability at other sports, including soccer, and music (he plays the piano and guitar). However, according to Tennis Canada, he knew he wanted to be a professional tennis player the first time he held a racket. Perhaps it should have been taken as a sign that Auger-Aliassime was born on August 8, the same day (but 19 years later) as Federer.

7. More About Music

According to ATPTour.com, Music is a huge part of Felix’s life. As someone who travels a lot for work and outside of work, Auger-Aliassime makes sure that he has all the things he needs to listen to his music wherever he goes. He has indicated that he likes some modern music, but he also enjoys listening to instrumental music and what he describes as “chill piano” music. He listens to music when he falls asleep, and that means that when he’s on a plane or in a public place, he uses earbuds. When alone, however, he listens to his soft music on a speaker as he snoozes.

8. Raking in the Wins (and Cash)

According to Pro Tennis Live, Auger-Aliassime has earned roughly $7.9 million already in his career from match prize money. Nearly a third of that amount has been won in 2022 alone. Felix has played a little bit of double professional tennis, but nearly all his prize money has been won from singles matches. Of current players, he ranks 119th in the world in prize money earned. However, seeing as he is only 22, he has the potential to move up that list fast and hold a top position for many years to come.

9. Giving to Children in Togo, One Point at a Time

Back in 2020 when he was still a teenager, Felix determined that he would donate $5 for every point he scored to EduChange, an organization focused on protecting and educating children in Togo. It’s something that was long in the works for Aliassime. According to ATPTour.com, he knew even when he was young that he would help with charitable causes as soon as he was in the position to give significantly. Of course, 2020 was the year that COVID changed everything, and Felix expressed his interest in getting back on the court not just so that he could play the game he loves, but so that he could donate more money to help children.

Three Stripes AND “The Barricade”

Felix has been sponsored by Adidas for a few years now and loves to rep the brand he often wore as a child. A famous Adidas tennis shoe called “The Barricade,” has been a favorite of many tennis players as they learn the game. Although Adidas temporarily discontinued the Barricade for some time, Auger-Aliassime was thrilled to learn that the company was bringing the shoe back and he would be able to sport it on the court while representing his sponsor.

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