Auger-Aliassime advances – Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 4 seed, beat Brandon Nakashima in straight sets with three tiebreaks to become the last Canadian in men’s singles at Roland-Garros. On the women’s side, Victoria Mboko was eliminated in the third round by Madison Keys.
Felix Auger-Aliassime needed grit at Roland-Garros, and he found it on Saturday—enough to keep Canada’s singles hopes alive for at least one more week.
The No. 4 seed defeated No. 31 seed Brandon Nakashima of the United States 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) to reach the round of 16. It was a tense finish after a match that swung hard in the middle and then demanded nerve in the tiebreaks.
What made the win feel even bigger for the Montrealer was how the bigger draw reshaped around him. With Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic eliminated and Carlos Alcaraz injured, Auger-Aliassime’s quarter of the bracket now offers a rare kind of opportunity in a Grand Slam that rarely waits for anyone.
He’s also building a personal best moment. Auger-Aliassime matched a career high at the French Open by reaching the fourth round for the third time. In the third set, he saved a set point against Nikishima before eventually pushing the set into a tiebreaker. From there, he kept his composure and kept moving.
Next up, Auger-Aliassime will face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, who was born and raised in Toronto.
The win carries extra meaning beyond the court. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Auger-Aliassime found success at Roland-Garros as part of the tennis program—finishing fourth in singles and winning a bronze medal in mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski.
But while Auger-Aliassime kept the spotlight on Canadian tennis, the story ended for Victoria Mboko in the women’s draw. The 19-year-old from Burlington, Ont., bowed out in the third round of women’s singles, losing in three sets to Madison Keys of the United States.
Keys won 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 over the ninth-seeded Mboko in the clay-court Grand Slam. Mboko reached the third round in her French Open debut last year as well, but this time the match was a slow burn that turned into a fight.
Mboko trailed Keys 4-2 in the third set, then worked her way back until it reached 5-5. She even had serve to force a tiebreaker, but Keys—seeded 19th—broke her to close it out. The match took two and a half hours to complete.
Keys will now face 25th-seed Diana Shnaider of Russia in the fourth round.
French Open Roland-Garros Felix Auger-Aliassime Brandon Nakashima Alejandro Tabilo Victoria Mboko Madison Keys Diana Shnaider Jannik Sinner Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz Canada tennis
So he made it but wasn’t it like… already decided? Tennis is weird.
Madison Keys beating Victoria Mboko in three sets sounds brutal. Also why is the draw “reshaping around him” like it’s just fate??
I read “Tabilo born in Toronto” and immediately thought that means he’ll play Canadian style or something. But then it says Auger-Aliassime saved a set point? Like against Nakashima?? Idk I’m confused.
Carlos Alcaraz injured and Sinner/Djokovic eliminated… so basically Auger-Aliassime got an easier path? I’m not saying he didn’t earn it, but the article makes it sound like the bracket was doing him favors. Also the tiebreak scores are insane, like 7-6 (4) then 7-6 (1), that’s just luck at that point right?