Felix Auger-Aliassime lost to Novak Djokovic, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-7, in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
The Canadian star narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals, losing the match tiebreak, 4-10, on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic – Who reaches the Wimbledon final?
The best in the world takes on the G.O.A.T.
But despite coming up short, Auger-Aliassime made history on Tuesday evening…
Felix Auger-Aliassime achieves unmatchable feat involving Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
When Auger-Aliassime won the fourth set, he became the only player to have forced a decider against Djokovic at Wimbledon and Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
He may have fallen short in both matches, but Auger-Aliassime pushed two of the greatest players of all time all the way at two of their favourite major tournaments.
Auger-Aliassime’s record will remain untouchable, unless either Nadal or John Isner comes out of retirement.
While Djokovic has played 14 five-set matches at Wimbledon throughout his career, Nadal only played three at Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal’s five-set matches at Roland Garros
- 2011 French Open 1R [WIN] vs John Isner, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
- 2013 French Open SF [WIN] vs Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7, 9-7
- 2022 French Open 4R [WIN] vs Felix Auger-Aliassime, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
So for someone else to play a five-setter against Nadal at Roland Garros and Djokovic at Wimbledon, they would require the Spaniard to come out of retirement.
Or, Isner would need to reverse his retirement decision and play a five-setter against Djokovic at SW19.
Neither scenario seems likely, so the chances are that Auger-Aliassime’s new record will remain untouched.
What’s next for Felix Auger-Aliassime?
When the dust settles, Auger-Aliassime will reflect on a positive Wimbledon campaign.
However, that’s not to say he will leave London with no regrets.
If Auger-Aliassime wants to become a Grand Slam champion, he cannot afford to keep letting these opportunities slip through his fingers.
Felix Auger-Aliassime’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Latest performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | QF – 2022 | 1R – 2026 | 13-7 | 68% |
| French Open | QF – 2026 | QF – 2026 | 10-7 | 59% |
| Wimbledon | QF – 2021, 2026 | QF – 2026 | 11-7 | 61% |
| US Open | SF – 2021, 2025 | SF – 2025 | 14-8 | 64% |
At last month’s French Open, Auger-Aliassime emerged as a genuine title contender when the two favourites, Jannik Sinner and Djokovic failed to make it through to the last 16.
But the Canadian couldn’t do much better, losing to Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals.
And while he wasn’t quite so fortunate with the draw at Wimbledon, he certainly had his chances to reach a third Grand Slam semi-final.
Failing to do so, Auger-Aliassime must now set his sights on the US Open, where he will defend his semi-final points (800) from last year.
With Carlos Alcaraz set to return, Auger-Aliassime will face another obstacle on his way to winning that elusive first major title.
To boost his chances at Flushing Meadows, the 25-year-old must arrive in New York in form as he did last year (QF loss in Cincinnati).
Therefore, the warm-up events in Montreal and Cincinnati will be crucial.
If Auger-Aliassime struggles at the two Masters 1000 events before the US Open, you’d have to worry about his chances at the final Grand Slam of the year.
This year’s US Open begins on Sunday, August 23.
