Felix Auger-Aliassime will not play again until the 2025 season after withdrawing from next week's Moselle Open.
The Canadian's last appearance was at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. He won the ATP 500 tournament in Switzerland in 2022 and 2023, meaning he must have had high hopes for the event despite an indifferent 2024 season overall.
Auger-Aliassime comfortably defeated Sebastian Baez in the opening round. He was not broken once during a 7-5, 6-1 triumph, continuing his long unbeaten streak in Basel that stretched back to 2022.
But that run was ended in the round of 16 by the huge-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The 24-year-old lost 1-6, 6-7 to the Frenchman, who went on to win the title after beating Ben Shelton in the final.
The indoor hardcourt swing is usually the time when Auger-Aliassime thrives the most. All five of his ATP titles have come at indoor tournaments played on hard courts, which is impressive considering most of the year is dedicated to outdoor events.
Despite his setback at the Swiss Indoors, Auger-Aliassime could have still been one of the most dangerous players in the draw of the ongoing Paris Masters. He was set to take on Shelton in the tournament's opening round.
The pre-tournament draw would have had the Canadian face Jannik Sinner in the second round if he had overcome Shelton, but Sinner withdrew late from the Paris Masters on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, fans also did not get to watch the fascinating matchup between Auger-Aliassime and Shelton after this year's Madrid Open runner-up withdrew from the tournament with a back injury.
Auger-Aliassime announced on social media that he experienced back pain in Basel. After having tests and attempting to practice, he determined that competing at the Paris Masters would not be possible.
His semifinal appearance at the final Masters tournament of the year in 2022 showed how challenging he could have been to stop. Shelton must feel very fortunate after avoiding Auger-Aliassime and Sinner in the draw.
Auger-Aliassime had indicated in his statement that he would not play again in 2024. That reality has now been confirmed after the 2021 US Open semifinalist withdrew from the Moselle Open in Metz.
Facundo Diaz Acosta replaces Auger-Aliassime at the Moselle Open. The Argentine is a clay court specialist but will have an opportunity to surprise the players in the draw by playing well on the indoor hard courts in Metz.
One of the most memorable moments of Auger-Aliassime's career was winning the 2022 Davis Cup. He had been set to lead his country again at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where Rafael Nadal will make his final professional appearance before retirement.
However, Auger-Aliassime previously announced that he would miss the Davis Cup Finals to focus on humanitarian work in Togo, where his father was born.
That decision means it does not matter if Auger-Aliassime's back recovers by the time the Davis Cup Finals begin. Fans will not see him in action again until the 2025 season kicks off.
0 Comments