Imago
Image Credit – Imago
Imago
Image Credit – Imago
The Monte Carlo Masters just keeps on getting better for Felix Auger-Aliassime. He had entered the tournament after suffering early exits at the ‘Sunshine Double’ and would have been aiming to start the clay-court season on a high. He has done exactly that as he has won his first two matches in Monaco to reach the quarterfinals. However, Auger-Aliassime wouldn’t have wanted to end his second match in the way it did.
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The World No. 7 took on Casper Ruud in the Round of 16 in what was expected to be an evenly-matched contest. Auger-Aliassime was leading the H2H by 4-3 coming into this match. He started strong and clinched the first set 7-5. However, Ruud was forced to retire in the second set at 2-2 due to a calf issue. This result saw Auger-Aliassime bag a monumental feat and become the first Canadian player to reach the last 8 stage of all the nine Masters 1000 events.
When told about his achievement after the match, Auger-Aliassime expressed how much the result meant to him, especially after his previous struggles in Monte Carlo.
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“I knew actually, because at the end of the year sometimes you think, ‘oh which Masters I haven’t played well at’, and Monte Carlo has always been the one that has been tough. And it’s weird because I have been living here since 2019, but I guess it is due to the first tournament back on clay. Just getting your feet dirty again and getting used to it, so that’s why I struggled so much in the past and I think it was my first time in the Round of 16. First time in the quarterfinals so it is a great accomplishment for me.”
Historically, the Monte Carlo Masters has always proven to be a difficult tournament for Auger-Aliassime. He had a win-loss record of 2-6 coming into this edition and had suffered a first-round exit last year. However, he has not let the painful past repeat itself and has made it to the quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
Auger-Aliassime had commenced his Monte Carlo campaign with a convincing 7-6, 6-3 victory over Marin Cilic in the Round of 32. Though the Croatian managed to force the set into a tie-breaker, he lost all his momentum when his opponent came out on top and took the valuable lead. The second set was dominated by the Canadian and he clinched it comfortably to seal the win.
Making history as the only Canadian to have achieved the feat 🇨🇦 @felixtennis #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/dHKyCV1zgZ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 9, 2026
Auger-Aliassime’s season has so far been a mixed bag. While there have been flashes of brilliance on one hand, there have been some highly disappointing performances on the other.
Despite beginning the year on a dismal note and exiting the Australian Open in the first round, the 26-year-old bounced back in the next tournament itself. He clinched his first title of 2026 by defeating Adrian Mannarino in the final of Open Occitanie held in Montpellier.
The Canadian then went on to make the final of the Rotterdam Open, but this time ended up on the losing side. Auger-Aliassime was handed a one-sided 3-6, 2-6 defeat by Alex de Minaur in the penultimate match. This was followed by a semifinal appearance at the Dubai Championships where he was eliminated by eventual champion Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 2-6.
Auger-Aliassime’s struggles at both the Indian Wells and Miami Open saw him conclude the hard-court season on a dismal note. But he now has a big opportunity to commence the clay swing on a positive note. However, it is safe to say that it will be a mountain task for him to make it to the semis at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Felix Auger-Aliassime set to face Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals
The World No. 7 has been drawn against the in-form Jannik Sinner in the last 8. The Italian is currently on a winning streak of 14 matches after his stunning ‘Sunshine Double’ triumph. He has continued his solid form in Monaco and has breezed past his first two opponents.
Sinner had begun his campaign by defeating Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-0 in just 64 minutes. Though the 24-year-old did look a little shaky in his second match, he managed to pull off a hard-fought 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 victory over Tomáš Macháč. He has even decided to pull out of the doubles event to focus solely on the singles draw. Sinner will be the favorite heading into his clash against Auger-Aliassime.
The two have previously met on six occasions and the Italian currently leads the H2H by 4-2. Sinner had dominated over Auger-Aliassime last year and had emerged victorious in all the four matches that the two played against each other. The last of those wins had come in the group stage of the 2025 ATP Finals.
Will Auger-Aliassime pull off a major victory in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Open, or will Sinner continue his unbeaten streak and move into the semis? Let us know your predictions in the comments!
Written by
Edited by
Firdows Matheen