Both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti made second-round exits at the US Open, with both leaving New York under worrying health circumstances. The pattern of their losses was strikingly similar: both won the opening set before their physical condition deteriorated.
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Auger-Aliassime took the first set against Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), but then dropped the next three 3-6, 2-6, 2-6. Musetti followed a similar path against Dane Sweeny, winning the opener 6-3 before losing the next three sets 1-6, 2-6, 2-6. Both players later opened up about their physical struggles in their press conferences.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s tough to talk about anything other than how I felt physically after a set and a half. I just couldn’t feel well. I was dizzy and seeing spots, and I couldn’t recover. I’ve never felt quite like that,” said Auger-Aliassime in his press conference.
“I’ve had cramps before. I’ve felt tired towards the end of matches, but in a normal way. This was a little abnormal. There were no signs in the last couple of days and no signs this morning as well. So, yeah, I’m not sure.”
Auger-Aliassime’s season stayed largely injury-free until Wimbledon, where he lost a five-hour quarterfinal battle to Novak Djokovic. Since then, fitness concerns have started creeping in.
He withdrew from Montreal with a back injury and then exited Cincinnati in the fourth round.
For the World No. 4, a strong season has quickly turned into a fight to stay healthy.
Musetti has dealt with repeated injury problems in recent seasons, and 2026 has been no different. This time, though, the issue was not another injury but the brutal New York heat.
The conditions in New York only made matters worse.
On September 3, when Auger-Aliassime and Musetti played, temperatures near Flushing Meadows climbed to around 87°F (30.6°C) by mid-afternoon, roughly six degrees above normal. With humidity hovering around 62%, it felt closer to 91°F (33°C), turning an already demanding hard-court match into an even tougher physical test.
Even after winning the opening set, Musetti’s movement and energy dropped sharply as the conditions took their toll.
“It’s hard to talk about it. It was a major shock from the temperature standpoint, and I felt it a lot. Despite the breaks I managed to take, I never regained energy or an acceptable physical condition. I’m fed up with retiring and these situations. This felt like my 2026, but I have to accept it and move forward. From the moment I started feeling unwell, I never improved. In fact, I got worse,” said Musetti in his press conference.
“We tried lowering the temperature and taking in sugars, but once you cross a certain threshold, it’s hard to come back. We often push the body to the limit, and for me, a situation like this was perhaps the first time.”
This is not the first time a physical condition has hampered Musetti this season, as the Italian withdrew from his quarterfinal match against Djokovic at the Australian Open due to a leg injury. That was not all; an arm injury kept him out of the Miami Open, while a rectus femoris injury forced him to skip the French Open.
Auger-Aliassime and Musetti have not been the only players to seemingly struggle in the hot, humid New York conditions. The tournament opened with the massive loss of Novak Djokovic, who was seen struggling and vomiting during his five-set loss to Mariano Navone.
For Musetti and Auger-Aliassime, the early US Open exits meant heavy losses in ranking points and a potential drop for the Italian.
Both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti Had Big Losses in Ranking Points
The US Open was a happy hunting ground for both Auger-Aliassime and Musetti last year, with the Italian reaching the quarterfinals and the Canadian making it to the semifinals, with both players losing to Jannik Sinner. However, Musetti’s second-round exit has cost him 350 points and slipped five places to No. 19 in the live ATP Rankings.
For Auger-Aliassime, the drop has been steeper, as the Canadian has lost 750 points but remains No. 4 in the rankings for now. However, what would be most disappointing for both players is that they could not take advantage of their respective good form due to fitness concerns.
Even though injuries have hampered his 2026 season, Musetti has reached four quarterfinals, including at the Australian Open and the Cincinnati Open. On the other hand, Auger-Aliassime had won a hard-court title in Montpellier this season and had a runner-up finish in Rotterdam.
The Canadian’s Grand Slam performances were impressive coming into New York, as he reached the quarterfinals at both the French Open and at Wimbledon.