Fresh off one of the most memorable years of his career — and a summer that saw him lift his first Grand Slam title at the US Open — Felix Auger-Aliassime seems to be thriving both on and off the court.
The Canadian star tied the knot earlier this year with longtime partner Nina Ghaibi, and if the wedding photos are anything to go by, the celebration looked like something straight out of a James Bond film. The glamorous three-day event in Morocco was, according to Auger-Aliassime, “magical.”
“When you plan it, you want it to be the event of a lifetime,” he said with a smile. “It truly lived up to our expectations. The feedback from our friends and family was amazing. We didn’t want to do just one day — people came from far away, so we had three days to celebrate. It was so much fun.
“The photographer was unbelievable — doing videos, everything — and the whole team working with us just killed it. We were so happy. And, you know, happy wife, happy life… happy husband too! Everything’s going well.”
That sense of balance and happiness seems to be feeding directly into his tennis. At the 2025 Paris Masters, Auger-Aliassime has fought his way through a string of gritty three-set battles, including a hard-earned win over Daniel Altmaier to reach the quarterfinals.
Altmaier came out firing in their match, taking the first set with relentless aggression. But as he’s done so often this season, Auger-Aliassime adapted, steadied, and found a way to turn the momentum.
“Honestly, I just had a bad first service game — it can happen,” he explained. “I double-faulted, wasn’t sharp on my approach shots, and he hit some good passing shots. He took the lead and didn’t really look back. I had a few chances to come back, but it was tricky. He was mixing up the serve — off-pace, slicing short, or going flat at 200 — so I wasn’t sure where to position myself. It felt a bit like a chess game out there.
“Once I found the middle ground — the best compromise — things started shifting. I felt more relaxed in the rallies, less rushed, and I was seeing the court much better.”
His tactical adjustment paid off, particularly on the forehand side. “He’s got such a great one-handed backhand — he can hit any target — so you try to stay away from that part of the court,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Shifting the game more toward the forehand gave me better options. Then he has two choices: go crosscourt to my forehand or down the line, which I can run around. That was the game plan, and I was able to find more forehands in good positions.”
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Credit: Picture: IMAGO
Steady evolution
It’s been a year of steady evolution for the 25-year-old, who opened the season strongly, surged to a career milestone at the US Open, and picked up another title in Brussels this fall. When asked where he feels he’s improved most, Auger-Aliassime offered a thoughtful, measured assessment.
“It’s tough to pinpoint just one thing because I feel like I’ve improved in many departments,” he said. “If I had to name a top three: my serve is more consistent than it’s ever been, my movement is great, and my game going forward — finishing at the net and taking every chance to move forward — has improved a lot. Mentally too, I’ve done a lot of good work and feel like I’m in a good place. My backhand has also improved. There are a lot of good things coming together in my game right now, and I feel good — but I’ve got to keep it going.”
That focus and composure — the “cold in the veins” demeanor that’s become something of a signature — continues to define Auger-Aliassime in high-pressure moments.
“I like when there’s a purpose to the matches, when there’s meaning,” he said. “You try to motivate yourself every time you play, but when there are high stakes or you’re in a big match at a Slam, that’s when you really come alive. You feel like, ‘Okay, this is what I’ve been training for.’ Your focus goes even higher — point by point — and that’s been the case this week. It’s been a grind, but I’ve stayed locked in when I needed to.”
Next up for Auger-Aliassime is a quarterfinal clash with Frenchman Valentin Vacherot, one of the breakout performers of the season following his remarkable run from qualifying to the Shanghai title earlier this month. “He’s kind of a new player on tour, even though I think he’s 27 or 28,” Auger-Aliassime noted. “I’ve practiced with him many times, but this has really been his breakthrough year — a big-time breakthrough fall. You could say the stars aligned for him, but the fact is he’s been playing at a really high level. Winning nine matches in a row from qualifying in Shanghai, then coming here and beating top players — you have to respect that.
“I respect his level and I’m preparing to bring my best tennis to match it.”
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