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It was … eight years ago. And Félix Auger-Aliassime was 17, and outside the top 150, when he made his first splash at the top of the game.
His only previous appearance at the Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level had come nearly two years before, at 15, when he lost in the first round of qualifying at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
This time, he squeezed into the qualifying at Indian Wells, and he made the most of it.
Enjoy this trip down memory lane; lots of flashback video to enjoy.
Qualifying Round 1: vs Bjorn Fratangelo
Fratangelo, 24 and already dating the women he would later marry, Madison Keys (you can see her in the stands in the video below), briefly crossed that elusive top-100 barrier two years prior. But for the most part the former top junior was a solid presence just outside that club.
And on this night, Auger-Aliassime beat him 6-4, 6-4 to move on.
On court, interviewed by the legendary Blair Henley, he talked about playing the piano “when he didn’t have tennis – or homework”.
Here’s what he had to say afterwards.
(For the un-French): Auger-Aliassime had arrived in the desert to play the Challenger that used to be held the week before. But he was cutting it close, having been in Rotterdam and Marseille on wild cards the previous two weeks. So he went out in a hurry to a random Spanish guy in the first round.
But on the plus side, he had a week to acclimate to playing outdoors, which he hadn’t done since Dubai in the previous off-season, when he was invited to train with Roger Federer (and got injured).
During the week, he was out 2-3 times a day hitting with the best in the world. And when this match came, he was ready.
Qualifying, final round: vs. Norbert Gombos
The final round of qualifying was against the very good (at the time) Norbert Gombos, who was ranked No. 144 but had been up to No. 80 just a few months before and, at 27, had plenty of experience.
Auger-Aliassime was almost down and out. But somehow he pulled it out and earned his first career main-draw spot at a Masters 1000.
He was pretty happy.
First round: vs. Vasek Pospisil
Auger-Aliassime’s Masters 1000 main-draw debut came against a countryman, 27-year-old Vasek Pospisil.
Pospisil had also also qualified for the main draw (as did another Canadian, Peter Polansky).
It was on Stadium 2, and it was a pretty good draw for the teenager.
He got through it in straight sets, for his first ATP Tour-level win.
Second round: vs. Milos Raonic
After that, ANOTHER encounter with a fellow Canadian, this time the powerful Milos Raonic.
It went … okay (and his younger friend Gabriel Diallo was there to support).
But in the end, he was beaten 6-4, 6-4.
Before the big breakthrough
Before the start of the qualifying at Indian Wells, when Auger-Aliassime was still waiting to see if he would squeeze in, he did a great interview with Open Court in which he spoke of his first big experience in a night-session match in Rotterdam.
And he also gave some good intel on what it’s like to train with Roger Federer in Dubai in the offseason. And what he thought of his game after experiencing it close up.
Here it is (In French).
