‘I’m Not Ready to Assume the Position of Nadal or Djokovic’- Felix Auger-Aliassime Shuts Down Question on Becoming the Next Superstar

Felix Auger-Aliassime feels that he is not yet ready to assume the position of greats-Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The 21-year-old had a phenomenal start to the 2022 season. He started his year by reaching the quarterfinals in the Australian Open. Stepping up his game, he went on to win the ATP 500 Rotterdam. He also reached the finals of the ATP 250 Marseille Open.

Following early-round exits in Sunshine Doubles and Marrakech, Felix next entered the Masters 1000 Monte Carlo. However, continuing his spell of early-round losses, Felix suffered a second-round loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti.

Felix Auger-Aliassime feels he is not ready to get in the shoes of the BIG 3

The ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo started with the non-presence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. While Federer has been out of the tour since 2021 Wimbledon, Nadal withdrew from the tournament following a rib stress fracture. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic played his second tournament of the year in Monte Carlo. However, World No. 1 suffered a second-round exit at the center court of the Monte Carlo Country Club.

With the BIG 3 out of the tournament, the only players left out in the draw are the young players. During the press conference, Felix was asked whether he is set to take over the inheritance of the legacy of the BIG 3. Even though he showed grace while answering the question, he seemed underconfident in matching the legacy of Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer.

He said, “I’m only 21 years old, and no, I’m not ready to assume the position of Nadal or Djokovic yet, clearly. I hope in the future that I will be able to become a player who has an important place on the tour.”

Felix on the non-presence of the TOP 3 in tournaments

Going further, he asserted that apart from the players’ legacy, it is the fans who play a vital role in tennis. Taking his match with the second-round clash with Lorenzo as an example, Felix said, “What I think is that the fans, the public likes tennis. Today they were cheering for Lorenzo. It’s almost full here, so they will still come.”

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However, in the past few seasons, many tournaments have witnessed young players outplaying the BIG 3 and winning the title. Giving his thoughts on the matter, Felix said, “It’s special when the older players are in the end of their career, but new players are coming up. We won’t have maybe only three players dominating all the others. We will have more players at the top.”

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Following a second-round in Monte Carlo, he is next expected to play at the Barcelona Open starting from 18th April.