If you ask fans for their predictions on who might win the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN during the tournament week, the name Alexander Zverev is the one you’ll hear most often, whilst Ben Shelton or Taylor Fritz are mentioned far less frequently. Félix Auger-Aliassime, on the other hand, is still flying under the radar for spectators – yet the Canadian is seeded number two and ranks fourth in the world.
Focused and composed, Auger-Aliassime answers journalists’ questions in the mixed zone at the heristo-arena. He has words of praise for his defeated opponent, Learner Tien, whom he faced for the first time. “It was the tough match I’d expected. My opponent caused me a lot of problems,” the 25-year-old admits honestly.
The Montréal-born professional had also displayed the same respect and focus on the tennis court earlier in the match. “I had to serve well and return well. That was probably the most important factor today,” says Auger-Aliassime, nicknamed FAA, who is blessed with exceptionally fluid movement.
His words seem carefully chosen; he has kept a cool head even in the midst of his greatest successes. Félix Auger-Aliassime brought the Roger Federer era to an end in Halle in 2021 with his three-set victory in the second round, and a few months later became the first Canadian to reach the semi-finals at the US Open. He is now the first player from his country to have reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
In 2022, the year of his breakthrough, he racked up 60 wins, including a run of 16 consecutive matches without defeat, with three tournament victories in Florence, Antwerp and Basel in quick succession. Although the number of tournaments he has won has since risen to nine, the 25-year-old’s career has not always run smoothly. Whilst his form on the ATP Tour in 2022 was outstanding, success at the Majors proved elusive at times. In 2022 and 2023, he lost in the first round at four out of eight Grand Slam tournaments and suddenly seemed one-dimensional. After recovering from knee and back injuries, however – partly thanks to his new fitness coach – things started looking up again and his confidence returned.
Auger-Aliassime is now ranked number four in the ATP rankings – a position he has rarely held before. In 2025, he won titles in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels and reached the semi-finals of the US Open. On his way to the semi-finals of the ATP Finals in Turin, he beat both Zverev and Shelton. The year also ended spectacularly for the Canadian in his private life, as he married his partner, the equestrian Nina Ghaibi, at the luxurious Selman Marrakech Hotel – amidst palm trees, magnificent floral arches and impressive Moroccan architecture.
The fact that FAA comes across as so precise – perhaps even a little too precise – in his on-court play may well have something to do with his greatest passion off the tennis court. In his spare time, the Canadian has loved playing the piano ever since he was seven years old. At the players’ party for the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo in 2019, for example, he sat down at the grand piano and celebrated his hobby, which requires hitting the notes with the utmost precision before refining the music with a certain finesse.
Auger-Aliassime will need a certain amount of flair and finesse – alongside his rock-solid serve – in Halle too if he is to beat Frances Tiafoe in Friday’s quarter-final.
“His serve will certainly be the deciding factor,” believes Auger Aliassime. He knows that Tiafoe has achieved some of his best results and won titles on grass: “He’s come very close to winning big matches before. He’s definitely one of the favourites on this surface. I’ll have to serve very well myself and find ways to put him under pressure. It’s certainly going to be a big challenge.”
As well as his tennis-mad family (his father Sam is a tennis coach, and his sister Malika also plays tennis), a victory in Halle would also bring joy to many children in Togo. Félix Auger-Aliassime remains closely connected to his father’s homeland: for the past four years, he has been donating five dollars for every point he wins towards the protection and education of children in the African country.
