Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a crucial victory at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, defeating Ben Shelton in a hard-fought three-set battle that kept his semi-final hopes alive. After dropping the first set, the Canadian staged an impressive comeback to win 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 25 minutes. The contest was a tense affair, with Shelton failing to convert a strong position in the second-set tie-break and Auger-Aliassime ultimately clinching the match on his third match point with a ferocious deep forehand.

Speaking with Prakash Amritraj in an on-court interview for Tennis Channel, the Canadian later revealed the core mentality that underpinned his triumph. “Obviously, a lot of breathing, meditation, trying to just stay as cool as possible under pressure,” Auger-Aliassime shared.

“And just to have clear ideas. I think we’re all humans. I think we kind of get to see blurry a little bit at some point when our emotions get in. So when you can stay clear with your mind, I think that’s when you play your best. And I was able to do that at times. It doesn’t always fall your way, but at least I have no regrets. If I’m able to do that, keep being clear on my game plan, executing well, then I leave the court with no regrets.”

This approach is a documented part of his routine; before matches, he engages in meditation to achieve a calm state of mind, a practice he says is crucial for performing during high-pressure moments. The match against Shelton was a perfect demonstration of this philosophy in action. After what he described as a “weird start” where he was broken twice in the first set, Auger-Aliassime did not let frustration overwhelm him.

Instead, he focused on the next point, believing and fighting for every ball. His ability to stay physically and mentally composed was key, especially after a previous match had raised concerns about his fitness. He credited his own physical readiness for allowing him to maintain high intensity throughout the long encounter.

This resilience paid off in the pivotal second-set tie-break, where he saved multiple set points before Shelton double-faulted to hand him the set, a clear example of pressure impacting his opponent but not him. And last time when he was on the court, the Canadian actually caught his opponent’s attention due to this particular reason.

Felix Auger-Aliassime got a thumbs up from none other than the world no. 1

Jannik Sinner kicked off his title defense at the Nitto ATP Finals in impressive fashion on Monday night, thrilling the home crowd in Turin with a steady and strategic 7-5, 6-1 win. But, under the scoreline, there was a sense of sympathy, as Felix Auger-Aliassime faced not just Sinner’s precision but also the increasing pain in his leg.

Looking back on his performance, Sinner mentioned, “It was a very tough match until 6-5. I had some chances to break. He served very well, only once I missed a return, but it can happen. He played some very aggressive tennis, so I’m happy to overcome a very tough test today. Obviously winning the first match is very important in this competition and this format. I’m very happy.”

But the Italian just couldn’t overlook his opponent’s situation while also giving an acknowledgment to the Canadian, saying, “I hope it‘s nothing too serious. I wish him obviously a very speedy recovery and hopefully he is back to 100 percent physically. He’s a huge server. Especially indoors. You have to be very careful. But as I said, it’s not nice. Especially Felix, he had some very tough injuries. We wish him only the best.”

The Canadian put up a good fight in his first ATP Finals since 2022, but he just couldn’t find his groove again. With this win against Ben Shelton, it seems like Auger-Aliassime is getting back into the groove. It’ll be interesting to see how he does in the later stages in Turin.