Félix Auger-Aliassime on his difficult 2023 season

A year ago, Auger-Aliassime arrived in Malaga in great shape: after losing the first nine ATP finals he played in his career, he won his first in February 2022 before ending the season on a tear, winning a trio of trophies in a row (!) and qualifying for the Davis Cup after winning 17 of their previous 20 matches.

“Last year I came in very confident, playing some of the best tennis I have played so far in my career,” he confirmed.

“This year has been more difficult, but yes, I think the most important thing for me… is that every time we come as a team, we always have the belief that we can win. It’s a separate tournament from the rest of the tour. That’s why we always see surprises sometimes in the Davis Cup. There’s an energy.

It’s true that it’s been an uphill battle for Felix in 2024, who has spoken openly in interviews about his lack of confidence while dealing with injuries. A 60-27 record in 2022 fell to just 23-19 this season, including first-round defeats at the last three majors, with his ranking falling from 6th to 29th in the world.^th.

But he showed flashes of himself with a title run late last month in Basel, Switzerland, successfully defending his victory with victories over Holger Rune And Hubert Hurkacz.

“I’m definitely back.” he told ATP after this victory. “I let my racket do the talking.”

He hopes to do the same in Malaga.