Highest seed in top half steers comfortably clear of Tabilo
Slowly but surely, Felix Auger-Aliassime is working his way into contention in his first Grand Slam as a top-four seed, sweeping past Chilean Alejandro Tabilo to reach his maiden Roland-Garros quarterfinal on Monday.
The 25-year-old has never come close to being the highest seed still standing in his half at a major, much less before the fourth round in a section of the draw that started out with runaway favourite world No.1 Jannik Sinner.
After surviving a huge near-miss in the opening round and back-to-back four-set scraps to reach the second week, the Canadian enjoyed his most comfortable outing of his campaign 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
As the draw opened up around him, there was no secret of his intention this fortnight after becoming the first Canadian to reach the last eight at all four majors.
“I hope to go all the way. Today was the ideal scenario,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It was a really good match for me. Every day, there's always the uncertainty of how you're going to feel and how your opponent is going to play, and it's true that to finish the day like that, on a set like that, it's really the best tennis I've played since the start of the tournament.
“It's a real pleasure that in only my fourth match here, I've rediscovered my best tennis, and I hope it continues like this in the second week.”
Auger-Aliassime was all but packing his bags after staring down a 1-4 fifth-set deficit against giant-killing Daniel Altmaier under the lights in his first outing of the tournament.
For a player who had only passed the second round four times in the past 15 majors, clearing that hurdle was a significant feat in itself.
Though far from pretty, that match steeled him for further scraps ahead – from a set down against both Roman Andres Burruchaga and 31st seed Brandon Nakashima – before his second career meeting with the left-handed Tabilo, this time on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
World No.36 Tabilo had never ventured this deep at a Slam and after withstanding the free-swinging French teenager Moise Kouame in a dramatic third round, he held high hopes of avenging a straight-sets defeat to Auger-Aliassime from Shanghai last year.
While he made more of a fist of it in the second set on Monday to stand one game from levelling the match, he ultimately conceded nine of the final 10 games.
The two-hour, six-minute victory set a showdown with 10th seed Flavio Cobolli after the Italian’s earlier four-set win over American Zach Svajda.
For Montreal-born Auger-Aliassime – who finished the contest with 17 aces among 39 winners – Paris is a place he feels increasingly comfortable.
“It's a childhood dream come true for me to even play here. I came for the first time, I was maybe 12, 13 years old and it's always been a dream of mine,” he said.
“It's true that I'm not French, but I'm still very much a French speaker. So I know there are more French players in the tournament, but I'll have to count on your support until the end to try and go all the way, to try and be in the final on Sunday.”
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
