Felix Auger-Aliassime is man on US Open mission after upset

Felix Auger-Aliassime’s upset train keeps steaming along in the U.S. Open.

Just two days after knocking off third-seeded Alexander Zverev, Auger-Aliassime beat No. 15 Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

The 25-year-old Canadian, the 25th seed, played with clear confidence and made his first quarterfinal at a Grand Slam since making three straight from Wimbledon 2021 through the 2022 Australian Open.

“[Monday] is my first time playing on Arthur Ashe in a few years, and I think it feels even better than the first time,” said Auger-Aliassime, referring to the 2021 U.S. Open semis. “At 21, I was on my way up. I had a few setbacks, injuries, struggles with confidence. Then to come back the second time in the quarterfinals here, it feels much better, more deserved.”

It’s all the more impressive considering he came in just 1-7 against Rublev, and got broken early.

But his confidence wasn’t broken.

“To keep my cool and to be more calm and poised, finishing the match was the key,” Auger-Aliassime admitted. “I had many tough battles with Andrey in the past. Sometimes I’d be up like I was today, and he’d come back. So it was very important for me to stay ahead and to keep putting pressure all the way until the last point.”

Next up is No. 8 Alex de Minaur.

Quote of the Day

“Yes. But maybe I’m crazy, but I always feel like you have to imagine it and then you have to believe it for it to actually come true. But you’re also speaking to the kid that visualized playing Serena, too, so I feel like there’s a lot of power in dreaming and believing.”

— Naomi Osaka, after she made her first major quarterfinal since 2021, on if she imagined returning to this level

Tuesday’s Featured Matches

Arthur Ashe Stadium

11:30 a.m.

Jessica Pegula (4) vs. Barbora Krejcikova

Carlos Alcaraz (2) vs. Jiri Lehecka

7 p.m.

Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Marketa Vondrousova

Taylor Fritz (4) vs. Novak Djokovic (7)

Tuesday on TV

11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., ESPN

7-11 p.m., ESPN