Everything you need to know about Félix Auger-Aliassime as he heads to the U.S. Open semi-finals

Open this photo in gallery: Félix Auger-Aliassime has booked his spot in the U.S. Open semi-finals after beating Alex de Minaur in the quarter-final with a fourth-set comeback on Wednesday.Ishika Samant/Getty Images

After a difficult start to the 2025 season, Félix Auger-Aliassime is once again on his way to the U.S. Open semi-finals and another shot at his first Grand Slam title.

With his comeback victory over Alex de Minaur in Wednesday’s quarter-final, the 25-year-old Montrealer has so far upset three top-15 players and matched his deepest Grand Slam run from four years ago, when he made the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows in 2021. Since then, Auger-Aliassime has cracked the top 10 in 2022, fought through an injury-riddled 2023 and won Canada’s second-ever Olympic tennis medal in 2024.

Félix Auger-Aliassime books spot in U.S. Open semi-finals with comeback victory over Alex De Minaur

But stiff competition lies ahead for the 25th-seeded tennis star as he looks to beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the defending U.S. Open champion, and make it into a Grand Slam final for the first time. “Four years ago. It feels like more,” Auger-Aliassime, who advanced in 2021 when Carlos Alcaraz stopped playing in the quarter-finals because of an injury, told reporters after his win on Wednesday. “It was a tough couple of years.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Auger-Aliassime as he makes another run to become the first Canadian man to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Who is Félix Auger-Aliassime and where is he from?

Open this photo in gallery: Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski won Canada's second-ever Olympic tennis medal with a bronze in mixed-doubles at the Paris Olympics last year.CARL DE SOUZA/Getty Images

Auger-Aliassime, who turned 25 last month, was born in Montreal and raised in the suburbs of Quebec City with his older sister, Malika, who also plays tennis. His father, Sam Aliassime, is a tennis instructor who emigrated from Togo, while his mother, Marie Auger, is a teacher of French-Canadian descent. Auger-Aliassime followed his father’s and sister’s footsteps into the sport, beginning to play at just four years old. He trained at the Académie de Tennis Hérisset-Bordeleau in Quebec City and began training in Montreal at Tennis Canada’s National Training Centre at the age of 14.

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Just before his 15th birthday, in 2015, Auger-Aliassime became the youngest player to win a main draw match on the ATP Challenger Tour, and he is one of just seven players to have won a Challenger title under the age of 16. He made his top-100 and top-25 debuts on the ATP Tour at age 18 in 2019, and has won seven titles in his career. In 2021 he made the quarter-final at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open semi-final, and in 2022 he made it to the Australian Open’s quarter-final. In 2024, Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski won bronze in the mixed-doubles tournament at the Olympics in Paris, Canada’s second Olympic tennis medal in history.

Auger-Aliassime now lives in Monaco where he trains with Frédéric Fontang, his coach since 2017. Later this month, he is set to marry his longtime partner Nina Ghaibi, an equestrian athlete and cousin of Australian tennis player Ajla Tomljanović.

What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s ATP ranking?

Auger-Aliassime was No. 27 in the ATP rankings heading into the U.S. open, but his performance has boosted his provisional ranking to No. 13 in the world, the highest it has been in more than two years.

Auger-Aliassime’s career-high singles ranking of No. 6 came in November 2022, and made him the second-highest-ranked Canadian man ever and the fourth-highest-ranked Canadian player in history. But he has spent most of the last two years outside of the top 20 and dropped as low as No. 36 in April 2024.

After the U.S. Open, he is poised to be the highest-ranked Canadian man over Denis Shapovalov (26) and Gabriel Diallo (35).

When is Félix Auger-Aliassime scheduled to play his next game at the U.S. Open?

Auger-Aliassime will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the men’s singles semi-finals on Friday, while No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz faces No. 7 Novak Djokovic in the other semi-final the same day. The times of the matches have not yet been set.

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“It’s not over. There’s still some tennis to play and the biggest challenges are yet to come,” Auger-Aliassime told reporters Wednesday after his victory in the quarter-final. “That’s what I live for. That’s what I train for.”

This is the first time Auger-Aliassime has eliminated three seeded players during a single major. He adds this victory over No. 8 de Minaur to wins against No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the third round and No. 15 Andrey Rublev in the fourth.

Open this photo in gallery: Auger Aliassime shakes hands with Australia's De Minaur after winning their quarter final match on Wednesday.Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

How tall is Félix Auger-Aliassime?

Auger-Aliassime is six feet and four inches tall, or about 193 centimetres, according to the ATP.

What makes Félix Auger-Aliassime so good at tennis?

Auger-Aliassime is famed for his speed on the court, powerful serve and his extended reach that allows him to cover much of the court. His composure, particularly in his younger years in the sport, has also set him apart, and it’s a trait he says he gets from his dad. “He’s very hardworking, determined, never complains,” Auger-Aliassime told The Globe and Mail last year. “He was a great example for me growing up.”

With reports from Rachel Brady, Cathal Kelly and The Canadian Press

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