"Before Wimbledon in 2019, I remember skimming over the list of men's favorites at a number of sites. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal ... Felix Auger-Aliassime? He was 18 years old at the time and ranked 21st in the world, but no worse than the sixth-favorite anywhere I looked. Auger-Aliassime had famously owned Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat each member of the Big Three before age 21 and enjoyed plenty of hype at the time, in juniors."
"The next year and a half quieted the buzz a bit. Curiously, this gifted player could not win a final for his life. Eight finals came and went, all in small tournaments that shouldn't have invoked crippling nerves-Marseille? Cologne 1? The Murray River Open?-yet Auger-Aliassime couldn't even win a set. He began to feel like the answer to an unfortunate trivia question: Which once-mighty prospect lost finals to Benoit Paire and Dan Evans in straight sets?"
Felix Auger-Aliassime rose to prominence before Wimbledon 2019 as an 18-year-old ranked 21st and widely listed among favorites. He had beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas in juniors and produced a strong grass season, reaching the Mercedes Cup final and Queen's Club semifinals. The following 18 months brought eight finals losses in smaller events, with repeated straight-set defeats despite a massive, precise first serve and a dominant forehand. His backhand remained a weakness. He eventually reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals and the US Open semifinals in 2021, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the latter.
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