Felix Auger-Aliassime is confident to get his good old mojo back after registering his first win in three months against Italian Matteo Berrettini.
The Canadian beat the former finalist at SW19 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the R1 of the Western and Southern Open and talked about the challenges of the 2023 season.
“I never doubted my abilities or the player I am,” said the Canadian. “I think I have proven to myself and others that I’m among the best players in the world in the past.
“This year has been challenging due to different reasons. Of course, the knee injury that lasted very long kept me on the sideline and also just not playing with the intensity and the level that I can play and that I should play.”
The ATP #14 seed won his last match on the ATP tour in Lyon against Pablo Llamas Ruiz, but has struggled with physical issues since.
Auger-Aliassime revealed his approach to keep his belief up in these challenging moments, “It’s a gut feeling, sometimes. I have had good periods and I thought, well, I want to go a bit higher. So you change… I added Toni Nadal to the team and got his experience over the last few years. Changing fitness coach, physio.”
He continued, “It’s kind of like you see what’s happening, and you talk with the people close to you, people that you trust. And then also, at the end I try to be responsible for my career. I mean, I’m the one playing, I’m the one on the court. I feel like when I make choices, I think about them, and I live by, you know, I can really happily live by the choices that I make
“I feel good about my game. Like, on the practice court or now, physically, I feel pretty good. I’m not too far from the best version of myself.”
The 23-year old has returned to the winning ways but his win-loss record is still negative in 2023. He now awaits Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in R2 of Cincinnati Masters as the pair set up their first meeting on the tour.