Felix Auger-Aliassime provided a realistic update on his return from injury ahead of the Madrid Open and acknowledged his chances.
The Canadian player has been out of action since March after injuring his left knee. Auger-Aliassime last played at the Miami Open where he was eliminated in two sets by Francisco Cerundolo before sustaining the injury that has kept him on the sidelines ever since.
But, now fully recovered and ready to compete again at the Madrid Open, the 22-year-old was not getting ahead of himself when thinking about his chances in Spain. Speaking ahead of the Madrid Open, Auger-Aliassime explained that his return to clay is likely to be a challenge.
"My ambitions are high but my expectations are low, In a way I hope to do really well and I'm confident that I can do it but at the same time I'm going to really expect the worst a little bit or expect that everything's going to be really tough. I think I'll need my max focus and concentration from the first match."
However, the Canadian player did not completely accept defeat ahead of the competition. Despite downplaying his chances, Auger-Aliassime also believed he could go far if he advances from the early rounds.
"Every match is going to be tough, so if I can get through the early rounds and get some wins behind me, hopefully I’ll get far into the tournament and play well here.”
Also, the 22-year-old feels like he is in a good place after a period of rest as he recovered from injury. Before his injury, Auger Aliassime reached the latter stages of Rotterdam, the Qatar Open and Indian Wells and he feels this, along with a gruelling 2022 season, took its toll.
“I’m feeling better and better as the days go by. It was tricky. I've played a lot of tennis since the end of the last season. I think I am just kind of paying the price a little bit [in] the past couple of weeks. But it's part of the Tour and part of the sport."
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