Auger-Aliassime Bounces Back for First ATP Finals Win

Félix Auger-Aliassime, the eighth-ranked player in the world, secured his first victory at the ATP Finals on Wednesday, defeating American Ben Shelton in a thrilling three-set match.

From Deficit to Victory

Auger-Aliassime, a 25-year-old from Quebec, had to dig deep after losing the first set and facing a determined opponent in Shelton. He managed to turn the tide, winning 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), and 7-5 in a grueling 2 hours and 25 minutes.

He played much better than me at the start. It’s rare that I suffer two breaks in the first round in an indoor tournament. — Félix Auger-Aliassime

Auger-Aliassime, who lost to world No. 2 Jannik Sinner in his opening match, showed great resilience and fought back to secure the crucial victory.

Path to the Semifinals

The Canadian now has a 1-1 record in the Björn Borg group and maintains a strong chance of reaching the final four. To do so, he will need to defeat world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in his next match.

Auger-Aliassime has a perfect record against Shelton, having previously defeated him at the French Open in 2024. This was his second victory at the ATP Finals, following a win over Rafael Nadal in the preliminary phase in 2022.

Shelton’s Tough Loss

Shelton, 23, lost for the second time in three days but put up a strong fight, dominating the match until the tiebreaker in the second set. If Sinner beats Zverev in the evening match, he will qualify for the semifinals before the last day of the group stage.