ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2026

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Hi, Felix. How do you feel, and how is your preparation going?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It's my first day of practice. I feel good. I feel healthy, which is the first thing. It's important.

Obviously leading up to a Grand Slam, most importantly you want to feel that your body is with you, and so far so good. That's all I can ask for now.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. So you're the No. 4 seed. Do you feel like the fourth best player in the field coming in here, especially sort of given the spring that you've had on this surface? How do you look at yourself at this moment, sort of recent results or going back further in terms of your confidence heading in and having a small digit next to your name like that?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I think it's the first time that I've asked myself what player do I feel like? I am who I am. I'm I believe a good tennis player. Obviously Carlos is not here, so that's why I'm fourth seed and not fifth. I'm currently fifth in the world, and I've worked for my spot there.

Yeah, the year is long, and a ranking is the result of 52 weeks, so that's how I feel about it. Then we'll see. I mean, I'm going to play a guy on Tuesday who is going to want to beat me, I'm going to want to beat him. We'll go from there. I don't think it matters much how I feel.

Q. I was asking because Taylor Fritz said the first time he became No. 5 he was, like, I'm not No. 5. There's so many other players who are better than me, but he was --

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: He is No. 5, like, I mean, because --

Q. And also the uniqueness of clay coming in and how that affects --

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: I understand. We all have our favorite surfaces, and it's hard to obviously -- obviously there's one or two players currently, and it's no secret, that are consistent on all surfaces.

The other players, it's a little bit different. Everybody has their favorite surface, their favorite maybe moments of the year.

At the end of the day, the ranking is the ranking. We all start at the same place, so it is what it is. We'll see where I end up at the end of the year, but I do feel like I'm making progress.

I feel like I'm playing good. I'm practicing well. I'm getting results a little bit under my expectations, but it's all good. I feel good now.

Q. Talking about the 15-minute limitations on media, I wonder if you participate, and also, if you do participate in limitations of the top player on the media commitments, can you tell us a bit behind the scenes how it came to be? Do you have a group chat? How is it organized? Are you unionized officially in some way already?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Well, we're not unionized in official way because we're independent contractors. We're not employees of any company, so we cannot officially unionize, but we are together. We're together, I would say, unofficially, but the players are together.

I think it's great sentiment that we have currently in the locker room is that we have No. 1 in the world, Jannik Sinner, we have a current top-10, but it moves. But I feel like there's a general feeling that the players are together, at least our generation of players are together and are together in this matter that we're talking about now in the participation of 15 minutes of media commitment.

This is a way for us to say, okay, we're together, we want to sit down, we want to talk, we want to negotiate. What's the best deal that can be done for the players leading forward, and this is one way to say we are seriously together, you know, in the most unofficial way.

Q. Do you think it can lead to maybe getting together on issues like scheduling or season length, other things that might be important for players?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Obviously players, they want to be heard, and we've always -- I think we're not the first players or we're not the first generation to have these, I would say, arguments or negotiations throughout the years that we want our seat at the table in terms of, like you said, scheduling, but it can be different things.

Maybe tournaments decide they want to start on Sunday or they want to play a fifth-set super tiebreak and why not super tiebreak? In the ATP we have a players council, and these matters are discussed with a group of ten players that are elected by the larger group of players.

With the Grand Slams we want to have that same, you know, kind of position, that same type of negotiation. Yeah, it's not the first time, but I think it's good that it's happening again and that players are together.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. I had a question about Stan. It's his last French Open. What will be Stan's legacy in tennis?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: He's a legend of the sport. I was joking with him in the locker room saying that I should stand up when he enters the locker rooms. It's just an anecdote, but all jokes aside, I perfectly remember the epic games he's played here.

When he won, I think it was in 2015. I was a teenager, and I was starting to watch much more tennis. I was really into tennis. So for me, for my generation, he's been an inspiration, so that's his legacy.

Of course, with a lot of titles, but the inspiration for younger players is absolutely great, and this is something he should be immensely proud about.

Q. How about Gael? What do you think of Gael Monfils, because he is almost 40, and he's stopping now?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yes, for how long he's played, everything he's given to tennis. Ben Shelton told me of late that he would only watch Monfils highlights.

So players like Gael are an inspiration for players who were not necessarily that interested in tennis and having a different perspective on the game. I think that Gael in that regard is quite unique.

He's been unique his whole career. I've played against him in Indian Wells. The atmosphere on the court was absolutely unbelievable. It was the first round. People were so happy, so excited to see him one last time. He's very loved everywhere he goes.

Q. Your seed No. 4, that's your best seed number ever in a Grand Slam tournament? Does it change your view on the tournament?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: No. Whether I'm No. 4 or No. 25, what I want is to be able to work and to go as far as possible in the tournament, and it hasn't changed.

It makes a difference in that before I would get to play Carlos in the 1 of 8, and now it won't happen, but you have to win game after game and beat every opponent.

We know that we have a lot of very good players on the tour, so what I'm trying to do is to be focused and to play the best tennis I'm able to play.