Felix Auger-Aliassime believes big progress is possible for him in 2024, and he talked about it ahead of the new season.
2023 contained many difficult periods for the Canadian. Auger-Aliassime did win back-to-back Basel titles, which is a great achievement, but he also suffered a string of first-round losses that halted his progress.
Auger-Aliassime, who recently won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, acknowledges there were tough moments last season, when talking to Eurosport, but the 23-year-old is determined to learn from those experiences to become even stronger for the long-term.
"I have to accept it as a tennis player and know the reasons. It's not to make excuses but to understand what happened, what I can do to get back to my best level and go even further."
The Basel champion is not afraid to look back at the hard moments to help him move forward. It will be interesting to observe whether that approach helps the five-time ATP champion in 2024.
Auger-Aliassime also said that the way Sinner, who won the 2023 ATP Most Improved Player award, finished 2023 was similar to him in 2022, and that shows he can come back strongly.
"I don't have the feeling of having missed the train. I managed to do things before Sinner, he managed others before me. He had a very good year, especially starting in Beijing, a bit like me last year."
It is encouraging that Auger-Aliassime is not demoralized by Sinner's rise. Instead, he believes that reaching the Italian's level and beyond is possible if he keeps working hard to reach the top.
Auger-Aliassime's chances of doing this should not be ruled out. He is still young and has time to develop. At his best, he is one of the most dangerous and powerful ATP players in the world.
The Canadian is on the 2024 United Cup entry list, and will hope a strong start to the season there can be a catalyst for a successful year.
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