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Felix Auger-Aliassime’s French Open run ended in heartbreak on Wednesday in Paris after a four-set loss to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. The 25-year-old Canadian was off to a strong start, winning the first set 6-4 and holding a break lead in the second. But the momentum shifted, and Cobolli battled back to take the next three sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Auger-Aliassime’s body language soured as the match progressed. He looked frustrated and demoralized, muttering to himself during breaks and briefly disputing a let call with the umpire. When the match ended, he appeared visibly devastated, admitting afterward he felt “destroyed.”
“I usually handle losses pretty well… but today I feel like I’m not the player I want to be, so it’s a difficult day,” Auger-Aliassime said. Despite reaching a career-high world No. 4 ranking next week, he expressed impatience with his progress at 26 years old.
The turning point came after the first set amid challenging conditions. The weather was gusty and chilly, and the tournament had closed the retractable roof as rain approached. Although Auger-Aliassime usually thrives indoors, Cobolli raised his game, taking advantage of the conditions and converting his key break chances.
Cobolli credited a mid-match reset for his turnaround. “The first set was incredibly windy. I went to the toilet to think about what I was going to change,” he said. “This is the best court I’ve ever played on in my life because I can express my best tennis. I just told myself to fight because I felt this was the chance of my life, and I have to give everything.”
Cobolli moves into his first Grand Slam semifinal, where he will face fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who advanced via walkover. Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, will leave Paris reflecting on what more he can do to reach his goals.
In other French Open news, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and American partner Evan King reached the mixed doubles final. They defeated Asia Muhammad and Nikola Mektic 7-5, 6-7 (6), 10-5 after a tense match that saw them lose a set despite having match points. Dabrowski and King will face top seeds Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in Thursday’s final.
Dabrowski is also alive in the women’s doubles, teaming with Brazil’s Luisa Stefani. They will meet top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend in Friday’s semifinals.
On the women’s singles side, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka was stunned by Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals. Sabalenka let a set and two breaks lead slip away, losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 to the 19-year-old making her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Sabalenka was visibly shaken, losing 12 of the last 13 games after failing to close out the match while serving for it.
Shnaider said she stayed focused “point by point” without thinking about the score. “She is the world No. 1, so I just tried to do my best. I had to fight for every point,” she said.
Earlier Wednesday, Poland’s Maja Chwalinska extended her strong run by defeating 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Sabalenka’s meltdown brought memories of last year’s final loss to Coco Gauff, where she also expressed frustration loudly. After losing the match, she crouched on the court in disbelief, unable to regain her composure.
With files from The Associated Press and CBC Sports.