ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2026

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/A. Tabilo

6-3, 7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Felix, congratulations on reaching the quarterfinals. How would you assess your performance today?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, my best match so far in the tournament. Over the victory, it feels good. It feels good to play the way that I ambition to play in this game. Today, in a Grand Slam, this is the type of matches that you want to play. I'm happy with my performance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. With this, you have now reached the quarterfinals of all four majors.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah.

Q. But as yet, not been past the semifinals, even though you're quite experienced now. Do you think there is a reason for that, or does that give you extra motivation?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: No, I mean, there is no specific reason. Every tournament is different. I mean, it depends, because every opportunity, every slam you play is an opportunity to win, mathematically. Some I lost first round; some I lost semifinals.

In the two semifinals that I played, one I played a player that was much better than me at the time. Again, also with Sinner, he was better than me.

I don't think there is any reason but to be a better player. That's why I go on the court every day. Yesterday, tomorrow, I go back on the practice court with the ambition of improving.

Q. How difficult is it to keep focused on your tennis and the next opponent, despite the fact that obviously the draw is more open than it's been in the recent past?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think now we've kind of gotten used to it, at least for my part. I think there was, like, that big day or two days in a row, it was like Sinner lost, Djokovic lost, it was, like, a lot of noise. But that was last week.

Then, as the days went by, you kind of get used to it. Today I didn't feel any sort of, I don't know if it's supposed to add nerves or whatever, but I didn't feel anything different. Me playing Cobolli in quarters is kind of, like, he's 10 seed, so it's almost normal, in a way, that matchup.

And then of course not having Sinner, for example, in semifinals is another opportunity, but you need to be there. So I have to focus on the next match and then try to be in the semifinals.

Q. As discussed, you have had success at all the Grand Slams now, and you've obviously had great results indoors. If you were to rank the surfaces in terms of the one that you think you're the best on, 1 to 5 almost, where would clay be now?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I have always liked playing on clay. It's never been a problem of not liking it. It's one of my big strengths is my serve, and then obviously on indoor, there's no sun, there's no wind, I can be consistent. Obviously the surface is a bit faster. So I think my serve is just paying off even more on indoor, but it's important to serve well every surface.

But it's funny, because I think it's just also we play a lot on hard court. I don't know what percentage of the season we play on hard courts, but there is times when I was 18, 19, I was playing more on clay. I was having finals in Rio, finals in Lyon, and other tournaments. So I was playing the summer in Gstaad and Umag on clay.

Now I just play on hard, so that's why I think also I don't play as much on clay. And even though I haven't had great grass results in the last few years, even though I like grass, as well, but it's just the amount of tournaments, so you don't get a lot of opportunities. I think that explains a lot. If I play 15 tournaments on clay a year, probably I'd be a better clay player.

Q. Well done. You said yourself you weren't so pleased with your results earlier this season during this clay swing.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah.

Q. Have you felt different starting this week, or is it just sort of the randomness of the sport that scores are close, margins are small, sometimes you come out on top? What do you think it is that's been going on the last 8, 10 days?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think it's what you said. Look, first match, I didn't play great. I was down two sets to one. Managed to come back. Won a tiebreak in the fifth. I mean, that tiebreak doesn't go my way, and it's go back home for me.

Now I'm in the quarterfinals. There is a bit of that, I won also two tiebreaks in my last match. When these tight sets, you know, go your way, you're able to sometimes capitalize on that and go deeper in tournaments and then find your best level as the tournament goes on.

In Madrid and Rome, I just lost a couple of tiebreaks. I wasn't able to play well enough to be dictating the whole match, so I think it's a bit of that.

And then obviously, you know, Grand Slams, I'm able to spend more time on the court and kind of figure out my game as the tournament goes on.

Q. A few years ago you worked with Toni Nadal, and the assumption among us here, and I think others in the tennis world, is you were struggling on clay. Do you think you have mastered clay to the extent the surface is now out of the equation when it comes to this stage in a tournament?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I have repeated myself a lot in my career about that. I don't know, maybe if I win the tournament I'm going to make it clear to everyone, I don't mind the clay. I just don't mind it.

I'm going to tell you a story. When I was 18, my coaches thought I should go play in South America because I was better on clay. So I went to Rio, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo. In the summer I skipped the grass to play on clay.

At 18, the schedule was to play more on clay. As the years progressed and my game progressed, it was natural for me to play the bigger tournaments on hard courts and play on indoor at start of the year and at the end of the year.

I don't mind the clay. And I didn't get Toni to play better on clay. Just to learn about somebody who's been the highest level of tennis. That was the key. Not just to be better on clay.

Q. You played twice Cobolli in Canada, Montreal and also in Acapulco, I think. And you lost but it was 2024. What do you think Cobolli has eventually progressed, and what about you too? What do you remember of those two matches in particular, if you remember anything?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I remember, but I think neither for him nor me, these matches are relevant to the next match we are going to play. I think it's very different. To be honest, yeah, when we played Montreal, I came two days before from Paris Olympics, so I came because I was playing at home, and I wanted to play in front of my crowd, but I was in no place to play well. He destroyed me. I played terrible.

Then, yeah, we played a contested match in Acapulco. It was tough. I served bad. But I could see already he was a great player. He was not high-ranked already, but when you see the way he moves, when you see his shots, you can see that he's talented, you can see that he's a very balanced player. He's got a great hand.

I have always been a fan of his game. I think he's a great player. Now we have had the chance to practice together more and more as the years went by. This guy has a lot of qualities. So, for me, I approach this next match as a very tough match.

Q. My question was going to be about Cobolli. Anything else you can add? You weren't surprised by his ascension? Djokovic has said I think after Wimbledon he saw him as a top-10 player. Do you think he can go further than that? Do you see him as a future, obviously not immediately, but do you see him as a future Grand Slam winner?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think there is a lot of players, we are all in this category. There is obviously the two players that are dominating the game currently. Zverev is the deserved third position, and then there is myself and everyone after that that we are all close in terms of points, in terms of level. So far we all have ups and downs. Cobolli also has ups and downs throughout the season.

I think the question is not only who is going to be able to just win a major but who's going to be able to improve his tennis to the level that they can be consistent year after year.