Félix Auger-Aliassime reached his first quarterfinal at Roland-Garros on Monday, defeating Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 in a commanding straight-sets performance. The fourth-seeded Montreal native has now become the first Canadian man to reach the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments, a milestone that underscores his consistency on the sport's biggest stages.
How did Auger-Aliassime get here?
The 25-year-old advanced through four rounds in Paris with wins over Daniel Altmaier, Román Andrés Burruchaga, Brandon Nakashima, and Tabilo. His path included a gruelling five-set comeback against Altmaier in the first round, where he recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the final set, and a late-night third-round victory over Nakashima that ended well after midnight and lasted three hours 48 minutes. Auger-Aliassime had previously fallen in the fourth round at Roland-Garros in 2022 and 2024, making this quarterfinal appearance a career breakthrough at the clay-court Grand Slam.
What did Auger-Aliassime say about clay?
Auger-Aliassime addressed longstanding perceptions about his performance on clay, stating that the notion he struggles on the surface does not reflect his actual level. He highlighted his record of reaching three ATP finals on clay, including a Masters 1000 final in Madrid, and attributed fluctuations in results to scheduling and exposure rather than structural limitation. He described his victory over Tabilo as his most complete performance of the tournament, pointing to improved baseline control and more consistent aggression.
Who is Auger-Aliassime's next opponent?
The Canadian will face Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals. Auger-Aliassime holds a 2-0 record against the Italian in ATP Head2Head play, though he cautioned that past meetings are not reliable indicators for their Paris clash.
What happened to Victoria Mboko?
Mboko, the ninth-seeded Canadian from Burlington, Ontario, was eliminated in the third round by Madison Keys. The 19-year-old had reached the third round in her Grand Slam debut at last year's French Open and had advanced convincingly through the early rounds this year, including a 6-1, 6-2 opening victory over Nikola Bartunkova.
Sources
- Sportsnet: French Open Highlights: (4) Auger-Aliassime def. Tabilo. June 1, 2026.
- LatestLY: French Open: Auger-Aliassime Becomes 1st Canadian Man to Reach All Four Slam QFs After Cruising Past Tabilo. June 2, 2026.
- Tennisuptodate.com: "Maybe if I win the tournament, it'll finally become clear to everyone: I don't mind clay". June 2, 2026.
- Fraser Valley Today: Canada's Auger-Aliassime advances, Mboko ousted at French Open. May 30, 2026.
- SSBCrack News: Canadians Victoria Mboko and Félix Auger-Aliassime Advance to Second Round of French Open. May 28, 2026.
Reported from public sources.