Carlos Alcaraz notched yet another win over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday at the ATP Finals. In their eighth meeting, the Spaniard powered through 6-2, 6-4 to push his head-to-head lead to 5-3. Felix has lifted his level this season, climbing to No. 8 after reaching the Cincinnati quarters, the US Open semis, and the Paris Masters final. But against the World No. 1, he once again hit a wall.

Speaking after the match, the 25-year-old shared his candid thoughts on Carlos, both past and present. “I mean, for a guy who was doing everything well,” he said, “but I remember let’s say three or four years ago, everybody was saying, The serve, the serve. He’s serving crazy good. He did that amazing. The rest of the game has always been good.”

True to his word, Carlos Alcaraz came out blazing against Auger-Aliassime, blasting five aces and winning 82% of his first-serve points while saving the only break point he faced. Even when the Spaniard seemed to lose rhythm in the second set, he found another gear and surged again.

As Felix Auger-Aliassime added, “He can change directions with both shots. He puts pressure on you in a different way. You don’t know what to expect. He’s playing at a very high speed. I think that was most challenging.” But don’t count him out yet.

The 25-year-old finished his season on a high, reaching a career-best ranking and proving himself a genuine contender at the season finale in Turin. Back in August, Auger-Aliassime was No. 27 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Three months later, he closed his season inside the Top 5 after advancing to the ATP Finals semis.

He lifted a title in Brussels before his run to the Paris Masters final, and in Turin, he defeated Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton to reach the last four. Despite the loss to Alcaraz, he’s proud of how far he’s come.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is glad to be “back” on the tour

Not long ago, the Canadian was fighting to hold on to his ranking after months of uneven results. It’s worth remembering that he once stood as high as World No. 6 back in 2022, the same year he earned his debut spot at the ATP Finals. That week in Turin, he even scored a memorable win over Rafael Nadal. He didn’t advance beyond the group stage, but the effort marked a big moment in his career.

Things got tougher after that. A mix of injuries and shaky form stalled his progress through 2023 and 2024. Early exits started piling up, his rhythm disappeared, and the frustration grew. With expectations rising, so did the pressure to prove he belonged at the top. It was a rough stretch that tested his patience and his confidence.

But 2025 changed the story. Auger-Aliassime found his footing again, playing with precision and belief. He captured three titles this season in Brussels, Adelaide, and Montpellier, climbing back toward the top of the ATP rankings. After booking a semifinal run in Turin, he grinned in his post-match press conference and said, “Back where I belong. Back where I feel like I can play with more consistency. Really happy to be part of this tournament, to have played that way in the last few months. Yeah, happy with the progress.”

Now he wraps up his year at the ATP Finals looking every bit the player fans hoped to see again. The question is what comes next. Can Felix carry this momentum into 2026 and turn a comeback season into a championship one?