The statistics that defined 2022 – Felix Auger-Aliassime arrives on the big stage, winning four ATP titles, along with the ATP and Davis Cups

There were question marks surrounding Felix Auger-Aliassime as 2022 began. He answered them all during a marvellous 2022 campaign.

Felix Auger-Aliassime 2022 Nitto ATP Finals || Imago / Panoramic

Chris Oddo

December 19, 2022

Entering the 2022 season the biggest question mark about the long-term future of Felix Auger-Aliassime was this: would he ever learn to win on Sunday?

The answer?

A resounding yes.

Auger-Aliassime entered the 2022 season with an 0-8 lifetime record in ATP Finals, and he had lost all 16 sets in those finals. When the 2022 season was said and done the Montreal native had raised four trophies, winning titles in Rotterdam, Florence, Antwerp and Basel as he finished at No 6 in the ATP rankings – his best year-end finish to date.

ATP Cup set the tone, Davis Cup kept the trend

Auger-Aliassime’s success guiding Canada to success at the ATP Cup in January kick-started his confidence and helped him get over the hump later in the season. He defeated Roberto Bautista Agut to clinch the ATP Cup for Canada.

“The ATP Cup final showed me I could play well in high-tension and decisive type of matches,” Auger-Aliassime said last month.

He would end his season at the Davis Cup, solidifying his status by leading Canada to victory for the first time.

A complete reversal of fortune – 4-1 in ATP Finals

Auger-Aliassime snapped his eight-match losing streak in ATP Finals at Rotterdam in February where he defeated then world No 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas for his first 500-level title.

Though he lost the Marseille final a week later to Andrey Rublev, the tiger was officially out of the cage. Auger-Aliassime would win his final three finals of the season, at Florence, Antwerp and Basel, in successive weeks. All four of his victories in finals came in straight sets.

Auger-Aliassime, ATP Finals 2022

Rotterdam: d. Tsitsipas, 6-4, 6-2
Marseille: l. Rublev, 7-5, 7-6(4)
Florence: d. Korda, 6-3, 6-4

Antwerp: d. Wolf, 6-4, 6-4
Basel: d. Rune, 6-3, 7-5

Felix Auger-Aliassime celebrates AO 2022 — Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

The serve was lethal

Auger-Aliassime’s titles all came indoors, and his serving was public enemy No 1 for his opponents. The Canadian won Basel without dropping serve and reeled off 93 consecutive service holds at one point, a streak that lasted from the first set of his quarter-final in Antwerp until the second set of his opening match in Paris.

Auger-Aliassime also notched a career-best winning streak of 16 matches, which took him from Florence, through Antwerp and Basel and, finally, to Paris where he finally fell to Holger Rune in the semis.

Wins over Alcaraz, Nadal and Djokovic

Finals weren’t the only area that Auger-Aliassime excelled in. He also notched his first two wins over a reigning world No 1, defeating Carlos Alcaraz at Davis Cup in September and then again in the semifinals at Basel.

The Canadian didn’t reach the semifinals on his ATP Finals debut, but he did notch his first career win over Rafael Nadal.

And, in keeping with the team tennis theme, Auger-Aliassime defeated Novak Djokovic at Laver Cup to help Team World win the event for the first time.

In total, Auger-Aliassime went 60-27 on the season as he changed the perception of his potential. A pretender no more, Felix Auger-Aliassime is expected to contend for the biggest titles in the sport in 2023.