Felix Auger-Aliassime’s unexpected first-round defeat at the 2024 Mexican Open has left tennis enthusiasts disheartened.
Returning to the ATP 500 event in Acapulco after a two-year hiatus, the Canadian faced qualifier Flavio Cobolli in the tournament’s opener on Tuesday, February 27. Despite clinching the first set, the 23-year-old faltered to a 6-2, 3-6, 2-6 loss in under two hours.
Cobolli is set to challenge either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Roman Safiullin in the second round on Wednesday.
Following the match, Felix Auger-Aliassime bore the brunt of his defeat, tallying 15 unforced errors and nine double faults. His aspirations to turn around his recent string of poor performances in Acapulco were dashed, leaving him in a predicament.
Expressing their dismay, fans took to social media to voice their disappointment over Auger-Aliassime’s setback on the tour.
One fan lamented the Canadian’s decline, expressing their initial hopes of him joining the ranks of the tennis elite as part of the next “Big 4.”
“FAA is a complete shocker for me. When I first saw him playing, I thought he, Zverev, Tsitsipas and Medvedev will be the next big 4 in tennis. But come on! You can’t be serious smh,” the fan expressed on Reddit.
Another supporter lamented the ongoing struggle of the young athlete, hoping for a turnaround in his fortunes.
“It’s such a shame to see Felix continue to spiral – in my experience he’s literally the nicest tennis player to his fans. I’ve ended up with about five photos with the guy just from standing in his proximity, he’ll always make the effort. I really hope he gets it together and gets back on track, because he has/had so much potential,” they conveyed.
