Resilient Auger-Aliassime comes back from the brink in ATP Finals win over Shelton
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TURIN – Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime picked up a crucial win at the ATP Finals with a comeback 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 victory over Ben Shelton of the United States on Wednesday.
The victory evened Auger-Aliassime’s record at 1-1 at the elite year-end men’s tennis tournament.
The 25-year-old Canadian came into the match following a 7-5, 6-1 loss to Italy’s Jannik Sinner. Auger-Aliassime was playing a competitive match against the defending champion before being slowed by an apparent leg injury.
He also struggled at times against Shelton and was within two points of defeat in the second-set tiebreak.
But he rallied from a set down for the fourth time in his last eight matches and improved his career record against Shelton to 2-0.
“He was playing much better than me at the start. It’s not often that I get broken twice in the first set indoors,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It was a weird start, but as the match went on I was finding ways to put returns in the court.
“Once we engaged in the rallies, I felt like I could win more. You just have to fight, believe, and play the next point the right way.”
Auger-Aliassime’s 20 victories in matches that have gone the distance lead the ATP Tour.
He will next face Alexander Zverev on Friday, and will advance to the semifinals with a win over the German.
Shelton dropped to 0-2 and will not advance out of the group stage. He will play Sinner in his group-stage finale.
Sinner improved to 2-0 and qualified for the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Zverev later Wednesday. Zverev fell to 1-and-1.
Auger-Aliassime is making his second appearance at the ATP Finals. In 2022, he upset Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, but lost his other two matches and didn’t advance out of his group.
Shelton dominated the first set and got an early break but a terrible game from him, when he was serving for the set, saw Auger-Aliassime break back.
Shelton, playing in his first ATP Finals, showed his frustration by hitting his racket on the ground. It flew out of his hand and toward spectators. No one was hit, but he received a code violation warning.
The American recovered to break straight back and take the opening set.
The second set went with serve and Shelton managed to save three set points in the tiebreaker but a double fault — shortly after taking a tumble — saw Auger-Aliassime pull level.
The Canadian never looked back and, although Shelton managed to fend off two break points early in the decider, Auger-Aliassime broke him in the final game, sealing the victory on his third match point.
— With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2025.