Canadian tennis sensation Félix Auger-Aliassime has decided to withdraw from the Moselle Open this week to prioritize his well-being, potentially jeopardizing his chance to compete in the prestigious ATP Finals. The 25-year-old athlete, hailing from Montreal, attributed a knee injury as the cause of his absence from the tournament in Metz, France, which is among the two ATP 250 events taking place currently.
Auger-Aliassime’s withdrawal follows a demanding journey to the final of the Paris Masters, culminating in a narrow 6-4, 7-6 (4) defeat against the top-ranked player, Jannik Sinner, on Sunday. Throughout the tournament, he displayed remarkable resilience by overcoming deficits in his initial three matches and engaging in five tiebreakers.
This recent outcome propelled him to the 8th position in the ATP rankings, surpassing Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the contention for the last singles spot in the upcoming ATP Finals scheduled to commence in Turin, Italy, this Sunday. Meanwhile, Musetti is actively participating in the Hellenic Championship in Athens this week, needing a triumph in the event to reclaim the ATP Finals slot from Auger-Aliassime.
Having secured a commendable record of 48 wins and 22 losses with three titles this year, Auger-Aliassime has made a noteworthy return to the top eight for the first time since April 10, 2023.