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Felix Auger-Aliassime, criticizing the players who complain about the hectic ATP schedule, has left fans peeved. The Canadian reached the semifinals of the ATP Finals and will look to secure a spot in the finals.
Felix Auger-Aliassime started his season strongly with the Adelaide International title win, his sixth ATP Tour title. He triumphed at the European Open and performed impressively at the Grand Slams as well. Having won the Davis Cup title in 2022, Auger-Aliassime entered the Turin court this year with the hope of another title.
Just one win away from reaching the finals, the 25-year-old called out the players who complain about the ATP schedule, suggesting they should stay home. He also referred to himself as someone who enjoys playing every day and never feels like skipping any tournament.
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"If you want to play less tournaments, stay home. Nobody's forcing you to be here. I don't know how guys don't enjoy it, to be honest. I think they lost perspective completely. I get that you can get tired. I'm tired, too. I do trips around and I go see different circumstances around the world. I mean, we're just lucky and blessed. In my humble opinion, every day I wake up and I enjoy. I enjoy that I'm here. Even if I lose matches, it's okay, I'm pissed for a day."
Fans were not pleased with how the Canadian expressed his opinions. Some said they had lost respect for him, while others felt it was merely a way to grab attention after his rise in the rankings.
"He really lost my respect with this statement and it's not about his opinion. It's about the arrogance in his tone. He could show some respect to his colleagues and still say he's enjoying a long szn," a fan wrote.
Another fan echoed the sentiments, writing:
"It's funny how these players have a few deep runs, climb up the rankings and suddenly have the most foolish opinion because they want to be diff so bad..."
Another X user noted that Felix Auger-Aliassime is perceiving things the wrong way, as players get fined if they miss important tournaments.
"But they get slapped with fines if they missed mandatory events. It's not as easy as Felix reckons. Iga and Carlos knows what they are talking about. I like FAA but he should sit this topic out."
Here are some reactions:
"Easy take when you’re not reaching finals week in, week out," a fan commented.
"Retarded take..," a fan tweeted.
Felix Auger-Aliassime wished to adopt a trait of Jannik Sinner amid his ATP Finals run
Felix Auger-Aliassime lost to Sinner in his first group-stage match, but mounted a comeback to trounce Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev back-to-back to reach the final four. Although he has been having a strong run, the Canadian expressed his wish to move past his opponents in straight sets as smoothly as Sinner does, but at this level, it’s always a tough fight.
"I mean, as a player, you know you will get into difficult and tight situations at this level. I mean, I would love to win every match in straight sets, maybe the way Sinner does, right (smiling)? For most of us players, it's like, especially at this level, you will be in tight situations when it comes down to it," he said in a press conference.
Felix Auger-Aliassime peaked at No. 6 in the ATP rankings, becoming the second-highest-ranked Canadian.
