Felix Auger-Aliassime sees improvement despite Jannik Sinner loss: ‘The gap between us is not big’ | ATP Tour

match response

Auger-Aliassime sees progress despite Sinner defeat: ‘The gap between us is not big’

Canadian moves up to eighth at PIF ATP Turin Live event following Paris final

November 2, 2025

Felix Auger-Aliassime’s brilliant performance at the Rolex Paris Masters ended just shy of glory when he lost 6-4, 7-6(4) to Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final. The match was marked by slim margins — some dropped points, some fierce serving from their opponents — but also by the Canadians’ re-emergence as serious contenders on the biggest stage.

Despite the defeat, Auger-Aliassime left the French capital with a major consolation: his run to the final moved him into eighth place at the PIF ATP Live Event in Turin, strengthening his chances of playing in a second Nitto ATP Finals. The 25-year-old is 160 points ahead of ninth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, who will compete at the ATP 250 in Athens.

“It’s difficult to sit there on the court and rethink a few points,” Auger-Aliassime said after the one-hour, 52-minute final. “I have to accept that the game is over and once I’m still in the game, even if you’re behind on match point, you feel like you have a chance to come back and you have confidence.

“But when the match is over, you have to accept that. I wish I had a better start, I wish I didn’t make those mistakes at the beginning of the match and I couldn’t have given him a result like this at his level. I wish I could have found a way to put more pressure on his serve. But he’s serving great and hitting great serves every time. I have to keep going and focus on the positives.”

If the final sting is sharp, the broader prospects are bright. Auger-Aliassime’s performance in the draw – which included comeback wins in his first three games – was full of confidence, aggressive tennis and a renewed sense of belief.

“I had a really fun week, a good week, great tennis, obviously playing well when I needed to with high stakes and high pressure,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I can also thank the crowd. They supported me throughout. You could feel that even today. They wanted a third set, they wanted more tennis, just like I wanted. They were great all week.”

According to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Auger-Aliassime has a tour-leading 82 indoor wins this decade. Seven of his eight ATP Tour titles have come under such circumstances, including this year’s titles in Marseille and Brussels.

In his second ATP Masters 1000 final, he lost to Sinner, a loss not due to a gap in level but a gap in execution.

“To me, it’s not a huge gap. We’re getting closer every game,” said Auger-Aliassime, who trailed Sinner 3-2 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series. “This match was relatively close. I won one set at the US Open and lost the first and fourth sets with difficulty.

“But what we saw today was that it was very close. It all came down to the quality of his serve, the quality of his return. Hats off to him on that. There was a part of me that said ‘there were times I could have played better’. There were moments in the game where I was still a little sour.”

Auger-Aliassime quickly recognized Sinner’s strength, and Sinner regained the world’s number one position with the victory. The 24-year-old Italian won four of his 44 first-serve points in the match to win his 23rd tour title.

The defeat may have been heart-wrenching, but Auger-Aliassime leaves PSG with new goals and in a strong position to qualify for the prestigious season finale. In 2022, he made his debut in Turin and defeated Rafael Nadal.