NITTO ATP FINALS

November 12, 2025

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Inalpi Arena,Torino

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/B. Shelton

4-6, 7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Felix, well done. That was a high-level match. Can you talk us through the match.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, well, good start the first few games, then it went his way quickly. It was weird. I made I would say a few bad mistakes to get broken. He had a good return on break point. Boom, all of a sudden I was down. I still believed that I could fight my way back.

Again, was unfortunate to end the first set getting broken again. As the second set went on, I kept believing my chance would come. I think I played a good tiebreak. I got a bit nervous at the end to finish the tiebreak. I don't know, wasn't playing great, but in the end it went through (smiling).

As the match went on, I felt like I was playing better and better.

THE MODERATOR: First question for Felix.

Q. You've had quite a roller coaster few days in Turin. Obviously you came here and didn't know if you would be playing. The match against Sinner was tough. Very emotional reaction at the end. Was that kind of a release from what's been a roller coaster few days?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It's weird. It could be, but I'm not aware of it, you know? I wasn't coming in today feeling like how I reacted at the end. I think it was more how the match went today. I think obviously if I'd won let's say in straight sets, probably would have a different reaction. But it was very genuine.

I think the last game to win the match by just breaking on the last chance you have before a tiebreak is like the highest pressure, because then you know you're just a few points away from going to a tiebreak and having to deal with really high, high, high pressure.

It was kind of my last chance. I was able to play just the right way, take my chance. Kind of stepped in early on the return. Had match point, came back. Match point again, came back. Really believed until the end.

I think all that pressure just boiled out at the end.

Q. This match confirms to you stats that I've read in the ATP notes today. You won more or less two-thirds of your tiebreaks and two-thirds of your decisive sets this season. 31 out of 45. What is the story behind this ability to be very effective when it counts the most?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I mean, as a player, you know you will get into difficult and tight situations at this level. I mean, I would love to win every match in straight sets, maybe the way Sinner does, right (smiling)? For most of us players, it's like, especially at this level, you will be in tight situations when it comes down to it.

I try to prepare myself when I practice or mentally to sometimes put a certain challenge or certain importance on that specific point or that specific ball. I try to be, Okay, on this rally I want to be really precise, not make any mistakes.

I try to kind of build myself and my game to be ready for those moments. Then you try to stay emotionally, like, try to take those out and just be pragmatic and be clear with your mind and make the right decisions at the right moment. That's all I think about.

Q. This is such a different tournament to anything else you would play through the year, unless it's Davis Cup or United Cup or something like that. When you come into a tournament such as this, do you come in with a thought process, I expect to win, I believe I can win? What is the mental view on that score?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, no. First you think, I need to be ready and focused and sharp from the very first day, very first point. I think when you play the best of the best, I was telling my coach actually the other day, like, you feel every point matters so much, right? You feel there's such high pressure on the first point of the game, or 30-Love, you're up.

But for example I know with Sinner, I was up 40-15 one game, I hit a double-fault, all of a sudden I'm 40-30, but I'm not as relaxed as if I'm playing somebody else.

You know all week you will be dealing with this kind of high pressure. You prepare yourself for that. Then for me personally, I approach a day at a time. No reason to project myself too much. I try to get the first win. I wasn't able to win the first match. It's great at this tournament you can actually lose a match and still win the tournament. Now today was like, Let's get the first win on board, right, because then you know it's almost over.

Now that I've won today, you're kind of able to get relief of, okay, now you're in this tournament. If I do win again, then I'm really in this tournament.

I kind of look at it this way.

Q. What is your feelings about the next match against Zverev?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: We played not that long ago. It's obviously better that the match went my way than if it was the other way around. So you step on the court with maybe a little bit more confidence. But let's see how it goes. Obviously we know each other well. We've played since 2019 every year almost, so...

Yeah, he knows what he needs to do. I know what I need to do. Let's see who can execute their game the best on Friday.