ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2026

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

F. AUGER-ALIASSIME/R.A. Burruchaga

4-6, 6-0, 7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Congratulations. This match could have been rather tricky, but you managed to turn things around. When do you think the turning point happened?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Argentinian players, him, others, are always quite challenging. They have many qualities. During the first set, he was good, and I had a problem with my serve at some stage. But then during the second set, I somewhat readjusted my position with my return by going for the ball a little earlier and hitting harder. Then my serve went back on track, and I then bageled him, and the rest went well.

Q. Today ended with a shock with Sinner being out. What is your response?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Everyone thought he'd win this year's French Open. It's not going to be him. I guess that's the beauty of sports. Not so great for him. But at the same time, everyone will remember what happened with Juan Manuel.

He's a great player with many qualities, and it's going to shed great light on him. Sinner is fine. He's got all the light that he needs, and he'll be grand.

Q. How is your draw now changing in this respect?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: If you're in my spot, you know that that's not going to change anything for me. I still need to win the next rounds. I wasn't supposed to play him before the semis, in any case, and then, if I reach the semis and I don't play against Sinner and I play against someone else, of course on paper that's better for me, and I don't have to feel sorry about that.

Obviously playing against anyone but Sinner is better. However, the road ahead is still very long for me.

Q. But what about the rest of the players that are still in? When you look at the potential finalists, what do you think that might change the road ahead for you?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It actually was the case even before Sinner lost, because I'm fourth seed, so on paper, if I beat all of the lower-ranked players, I'll go to the semis, but that's if things go the way they should.

It's tennis after all. It's sports. So you never know what may happen. I need to keep on playing well, manage my recovery well, and hopefully I'll be in a great position to actually go for the finals and win the trophy.

Q. In the locker rooms or in the corridors, did you hear many players speaking about this, that this was a turning point in the French Open this year?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think there was more noise on your end of the corridors rather than in the locker rooms where people were a little more quiet, because I think that everyone was looking to publish their papers by tonight, all of you journalists.

So on our end, I would say that people were more reserved. All the players know that it could happen to them today, so, for example, today I had good results, but tomorrow I may lose, so everyone is remaining focused on what needs to be done, though of course they are keeping an eye out for what's happening on the other courts.

Q. The heat is tremendous. There is still at least two days of heat wave left. So does that play a part in everyone holding up?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It's a major challenge indeed, and it's not easy for all players, as we've seen. In fact, I wanted to make two comments on this.

No. 1, I don't understand why the ball guys cannot give us any towel. I don't understand the rationale behind it. In all the other tournaments, it's possible. Right now there is a heat wave, and in 20 seconds' time, when you get a chance to do so, you have to go all the way down to where the towels are and refresh. I don't understand.

I understand the line judges, what they're supposed to do, but why are we playing in Paris at this season of the year? We have that technology that's called electronic line calling that exists. So why do we have to keep on doing the same way? That's my second comment.

For example, there was a breakpoint at some stage, and the ball was just off ever so slightly, and I know the way that things have always been, but we have the technology now, and I don't understand why we're not using that technology.

Q. We haven't addressed the fact that actually at some stage you might need to stop playing because it's getting too hot. Shapovalov, for example he was saying the other day that the hot conditions were making things terribly hard and perhaps a number of adjustments would be happening to make things easier.

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, there are two things that I mentioned: The towel and the courts. There is not so much you can do about that. I mean, I think there is a heat rule that exists now, so quite visibly we have not quite reached the point at which we're going to have to stop a match in terms of the temperature or the humidity. But I think things should be differently.

Q. Following these two rounds, if you compare your game today with where you were standing when you started the tournament, you feel that certain things are falling into place now for you?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I wish perhaps there was more consistency in my game. I'm trying to be as precise and accurate as possible, but I think I can be happy with the way that I have made progress.

I lost three tiebreaks between Madrid and Rome with tight sets, which sometimes are going in the right sense for me, and other times it's a little trickier.

Today it was fine, and now I can push further in the tournament. But, yes, I have definitely made progress in my game.