Felix Auger-Aliassime explains how he would ‘love’ to be more like Jannik Sinner after his latest win in Turin

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Felix Auger-Aliassime got off the mark in Turin with an exciting three-set win over Ben Shelton.

Trailing by a set to love, Auger-Aliassime fought back to beat Shelton, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5.

The Canadian is now 1-1 in Group Bjorn Borg, and is still in with a chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals semifinals.

He would, of course, have loved to get the job done quicker than he did on Wednesday, as Auger-Aliassime was forced into a deciding set by Shelton.

During his post-match press conference, Auger-Aliassime admitted that he wished he were more like world number one Jannik Sinner in that regard.

Felix Auger-Aliassime would ‘love’ to win matches in straight sets like Jannik Sinner

The 25-year-old was asked about his ability to win tight matches during his post-match press conference.

“I mean, as a player, you know you will get into difficult and tight situations at this level,” said Auger-Aliassime.

“I would love to win every match in straight sets, maybe the way [Jannik] Sinner does, right?”

“For most of us players, it’s like, especially at this level, you will be in tight situations when it comes down to it.”

Auger-Aliassime has worked hard in training to give himself the edge in tightly-contested matches.

“I try to prepare myself when I practice or mentally to sometimes put a certain challenge or certain importance on that specific point or that specific ball,” he said.

“I try to be like, Okay, on this rally, I want to be really precise, not make any mistakes.

“I try to kind of build myself and my game to be ready for those moments.

“Then you try to stay emotionally, like, try to take those out and just be pragmatic and be clear with your mind and make the right decisions at the right moment.

“That’s all I think about.”

Securing the win over Shelton, Auger-Aliassime let out a roar in celebration.

Asked whether the rollercoaster of emotions involved in his qualification for the tour finals contributed to such a reaction, Auger-Aliassime provided the following response.

“I wasn’t coming in today feeling like how I reacted at the end. I think it was more how the match went today,” he said.

“I think obviously if I’d won, let’s say, in straight sets, I probably would have had a different reaction. But it was very genuine.

“I think the last game to win the match by just breaking on the last chance you have before a tiebreak is like the highest pressure, because then you know you’re just a few points away from going to a tiebreak and having to deal with really high, high, high pressure.

“It was kind of my last chance. I was able to play just the right way, take my chance. Kind of stepped in early on the return. Had match point, came back. Match point again, came back. Really believed until the end.

“I think all that pressure just boiled out at the end.”

The win not only boosted Auger-Aliassime’s chances of qualifying for the semifinals, but could well see him return to his career-high ranking.

Career-high ranking beckons for Felix Auger-Aliassime

In a congested top 10, Auger-Aliassime now sits sixth in the Live Rankings, a position he last held back in 2023.

He could yet make another jump, with a win in his next match potentially opening the door for a top-five debut, depending on what happens elsewhere.

In fact, with a title in Turin, Auger-Aliassime could make his way into the top four, ahead of Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who decided to skip the tour finals for the second year in a row.

Auger-Aliassime won’t want to get ahead of himself thinking about the title just yet, however, as he now focuses on his final round-robin match.

The Canadian will play Alexander Zverev on Friday, November 14.