Felix Auger-Aliassime has been handed more than his fair share of difficult situations at Roland-Garros this year and each time he’s risen to the challenge.
On Saturday, the No.4 seed dropped the opening set for the third time in three matches in his Parisian campaign this year, but came to win once more.
The beaten foe this time was No.31 seed from the US Brandon Nakashima – and a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) victory moved Auger-Aliassime into the fourth round in Paris for the third time in his career.
Auger-Aliassime has been playing with house money, somewhat, since his escape against German Daniel Altmaier in the opening round, where he trailed 4-1 in the fifth set before coming back to win a deciding tiebreak.
Against Nakashima, he was 4-1 down again at another crucial moment – with the scoreline knotted at one set apiece.
But in that critical set, he not only erased the deficit but saved a set point in the 10th game to change the complexion of the match.
The popular Canadian also came from a break down in the fourth set en route to claiming his win in 3 hours and 48 minutes.
Auger-Aliassime’s 2026 effort matches his 2022 and 2024 results in Paris. But that’s where the similarities end, as the 25-year-old enters the last 16 this time as the higher-ranked player.
After losing those two matches to Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively, the world No.6 will face unseeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo on Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals.
More to come…