Paris
Auger-Aliassime’s Paris pattern: A clutch comeback & onwards in late bid for Turin!
Canadian, ninth in Live Race, rallied past Altmaier to reach QFs
October 30, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Felix Auger-Aliassime overcomes Daniel Altmaier on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters.
By Andy West
If Felix Auger-Aliassime can go on to secure a spot at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, he will have done it the hard way.
Needing a third-round victory on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters to keep his hopes of qualifying for the prestigious season finale in Turin alive, the ninth-seeded Canadian overcame Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. It was the third time in as many matches in Paris this week that Auger-Aliassime has rallied from a set down to advance.
“Three sets all week. It’s been a struggle all week,” reflected Auger-Aliassime. “Just fighting back, I feel like every day. That’s why I came in today knowing it might be tough again. Just stay calm, stay patient, and try to find solutions. I tried to dig deep. I know I have solutions within myself, but it’s just about making the right choices and executing right.
“I started serving better and better as the match went on. I was struggling with his change of pace on the serve… It was just a bit of a mix up in my mind, where to return. I found a way to pressure him and broke him three times in the rest of the match.”
Perhaps feeling the effects of his bruising opening wins against Francisco Comesana and Alexandre Muller, Auger-Aliassime was sluggish in the opening stages of his clash with Altmaier at La Défense Arena. Yet he showed no visible signs of panic and delivered a rock-solid performance in the second and third sets to set a quarter-final showdown with Shanghai champion Valentin Vacherot.
With his Tour-leading 81st victory indoors this decade, Auger-Aliassime moved to within 290 points of eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The Canadian can leapfrog Musetti this week by reaching the final in Paris.
Watch Auger-Aliassime’s Stunning Backhand Late In Altmaier Clash:
Auger-Aliassime was aggressive on serve throughout against Altmaier, and he finished having won 87 per cent (39/45) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats. His frequent forays forwards on a relatively slow Paris court also proved crucial: The eight-time ATP Tour champion won 20 of 25 points at the net.
Now into the quarter-finals for the sixth consecutive tour-level event, Auger-Aliassime will now prepare for a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Monegasque breakout star Vacherot, who earlier downed Carlos Alcaraz’s conqueror Cameron Norrie 7-6(4), 6-4.
