Felix Auger-Aliassime, the boy who longed to be a tennis player: “I always wanted to get to where I am”

Photo: Karen Morán / sent

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“My childhood was good in general, my mother is from Quebec, Canada and my father is from Togo, they both worked hard as parents to be able to bring a good life to my sister and me, during that time they taught us valuable lessons about work ethic, discipline, self-belief, things that since childhood have accompanied me and continue with me today,” he explained.

“I had a good childhood, although I played a lot of tennis I managed to have a balance at that time. I could not be more grateful for what my parents have done for me, especially towards my father, where he came from, the things he sacrificed, the hard times he went through, I think his perseverance inspired me as a child, he continued.

Internalizing the value of sacrifice from a young age led Felix, at 21, to become one of the promises to inherit the throne that they have already shared for several years Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. When he was just 19 he became the youngest finalist since 2019, he did it at the Rio tournament and later that year he broke into the top 100, also breaking a record at his young age; Although the above could be a burden for an average tennis player, for him it is an inspiration, but above all, the sign that he is on the right track.

🇨🇦 @felixtennis He already had his first training in Cabo 😎🔥🌵 #ATC2022 | #StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/QZHESQQXRS

– Mifel Tennis Open (@AbiertoLosCabos) July 28, 2022

“I consider that I have dealt with expectations in a good way because I have always stayed true to myself, I have remained the person I have always been and I have had people close to me. At the end of the day you only want to maintain a good relationship with the people who are important to you. Now, speaking of tennis, the expectations, at least those of others, are not greater than my own expectations, I believe in myself to be able to achieve important things within the sport, so the pressure is something that I have to deal with yes or yes , and it’s something I’ve learned in recent years,” he said.

This year, after losing eight finals in a row, Felix Auger-Aliassime was crowned in Rotterdamhis first title was a 500, now in Los Cabos, he will look for the 250 that has been denied him.

“My first victory in Mexico it would be great. I decided to come here because I heard many good things about the organization of the tournament, the place which is beautiful. I decided to come earlier to train and get used to the conditions, although there is a lot of water, the climate is somewhat dry, like a desert, although with its differences”, he said.

Hello Los Cabos👋🏽🌵 pic.twitter.com/wQaCnUc6nM

— Felix AugerAliassime (@felixtennis) August 1, 2022

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‘Uncle Toni’ revolutionized his game

Part of Felix’s growth in recent months has to do with the arrival of Toni Nadal to your team. Although hard work has always been present in his training, the contribution of the new coach, who forged Rafa’s legacy, has revolutionized his game, but also his mind.

“I would say that mentally he has given me much more confidence through sharing talks, going to tournaments and spending time with me. He really makes me believe that I have what it takes to accomplish my goals. He has always been very positive with me and of course it is also thanks to the hard work and high standards that he has as a coach, he has always been very supportive”, he explained.