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Felix hits back to reach last 16

Canadian remains highest seed in top half of the men's draw

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Roland-Garros 2026, third round
©Loïc Wacziak / FFT
 - Victoria Chiesa

Felix Auger-Aliassime has been handed more than his fair share of difficult situations at Roland-Garros this year, and each time he's risen to the challenge.

On Saturday, on what he called a "great evening for me and all Parisians" in the aftermath of Paris Saint-Germain's win over Arsenal in the Champions League final, the No.4 seed dropped the opening set for the third time in three matches but found a way to win once more. 

The beaten foe this time was No.31 seed Brandon Nakashima of the United States - and a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) victory moved Auger-Aliassime into the fourth round in Paris for the third time in his career.

From the start, from the first point, no matter what happens I'll be there

"For me, in terms of my tennis, I'm very happy to move on to the next round,” he said. 

“In the end I think the tactics were correct and I adjusted some good things at certain moments. 

“I have to give him credit, he returned incredibly, he put a lot of pressure on me when returning serve. That was difficult for me, but when the rally came, I felt like I was getting luckier and luckier. I felt like the rallies were going my way, but it was tough."

Auger-Aliassime has been playing with house money somewhat since his escape against German Daniel Altmaier in the opening round, where he trailed 4-1 in the fifth set before coming back to win a deciding tiebreak. 

Against Nakashima he was 4-1 down again at another crucial moment - with the scoreline knotted at one set apiece. 

It was a scenario that was similar to one Auger-Aliassime faced in his second-round win against Roman Burruchaga, and he confessed that harkening back to the mentality he's displayed in his previous victories helped him.

He not only erased the deficit but saved a set point in the 10th game of the third set to change the complexion of the match. He also came from a break down in the fourth en route to claiming his win in 3 hours and 48 minutes. 

"Knowing that from the start, from the first point, no matter what happens I'll be there… I tried to tell myself everything and it worked again," he said. "I'm going to keep the same routine until the end of the tournament."

Auger-Aliassime's 2026 effort matches his 2022 and 2024 results in Paris. But that's where the similarities end, as the world No.6 enters the last 16 this time as the higher-ranked player. 

After losing those two matches to Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz respectively, the Canadian will face unseeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo on Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals.