DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 1, 2025

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/F. Auger-Aliassime

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You played three three-setters. Did it play any role? And how do you view this tournament?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Not really. I felt good physically, to be honest. Even now I felt like I still have more to give. It sucks. It doesn't feel great that I'm outside the court.

I didn't have the level that he had today. Even though I had a lot of chances, I had my chances, I played some good points, but I wasn't good enough on my serve. That was the big problem today.

I was giving myself a lot of looks when I was returning from the beginning. But then two loose games like I did in the first set on my serve, 40-Love. Even in the second...

I have to give him some credit. He's been returning better. I've never seen him return like this from the backhand that deep, that fast. Have to give him some credit, for sure.

But on my part, I thought it was going to be a little bit better than that.

Q. What next going from here?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Look, day by day, we'll see. I'm traveling to Los Angeles tomorrow, getting ready for Indian Wells tournament. As all the players, we'll meet there. First Masters of the year.

It's been a great first two months. I can't complain. Tennis is never perfect. Maybe Roger in 2005, '6. Never perfect. You try to improve all the time. You try to learn from matches like this.

We'll see. But I'm positive I'll have my chances to win big trophies this year.

Q. What are the most essential, positive moments you can take from this week?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think mentally a lot of good things. To manage difficult situations in the matches, coming back from sets down. It was windy a lot the first few matches at least. Just dealing with all that and the adversity of course in front. Pressure moments and situations. I felt like I dealt with that well.

At times my level was good. I was not as consistent as you have to be at this level to win against any player, but it was good enough to make the finals. That's obviously very positive.

We'll see in other areas where I can still improve. I take that as a good challenge. I feel good about all that.

Q. You said you weren't happy with the way you started. I thought you started very well.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I just mean in the first set. No, not the way I started. If I said that, then I take it back. It wasn't the way I started. I felt like I started well.

It was weird, it was frustrating. I only dropped a few points. I got the first 15-40. We had this rally. If I made a great passing shot, maybe I win the game. It was really small margins. All of a sudden I'm at 40-Love. The game just slipped out of my hands. I was shocked. I mean, I had one double-fault. I couldn't find a good first serve, up 40-Love. He made one good return. I go and just miss two forehands by little, when I had the good idea. It really slipped out of my hands the first set.

Even the second, again, I felt like I was getting chances, doing the right things, the right adjustments. Boom, right out of nowhere I get broken. It's a shame because today I felt like my level was not a 6-3, 6-3 loss level.

Q. The game also where you were 40-Love down, but you saved it, incredible rally where you had him running all over the court.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Good rallies like this. There were a lot of good moments. I couldn't capitalize. I think it's a mix of me being even more clutch, not capitalizing on those chances. Him, as well. Giving him credit, coming up with good serves, good forehands after the serve, things like this.

I felt like he was playing better than the last few months this week for sure. He's improved. He made some changes. It's been paying off for him.

Q. Do you think the fact he played the final twice before...

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Maybe not the finals. But maybe the fact that he played evening every match this week, and I was playing at 2 p.m. until yesterday where I played maybe at 4, I don't know. Anyway, it was not as late as tonight.

Even though tonight is not late, just starting in the dark, it was getting cool. I felt like maybe he was more used to those conditions with the serve especially. I felt like it took me a while to adjust to how the air gets more cool and it's a bit slower.

I think that was something that when I stepped on court, I was like, okay, I need to be ready for that.

Q. What do you take from this tournament overall?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Positive things. There's two players in the finals. 32 at the start of the week. If Tsitsipas is the happiest guy tonight, maybe I'm the second happiest of the week. I take positive things.

I see now, okay, if that opportunity comes again or if I play Stefanos now in the coming weeks, how can I do better.

For me, honestly right now I was just frustrated after that I still wasn't on the court fighting for a third set. I'm a bit sad that I couldn't find a way.

But I'm happy to get a few days of rest and just reset a little bit. I feel like I've been digging very deep and pushing my body a lot these last few weeks. I feel like I need a bit of reset to rest, train again, work on my things and be outside of the match court for a few days. I'm positive after that I'll have the right energy to step back into the competition.