"I saw spots, it wasn't normal": The mystery of Auger-Aliassime
The world number 4 was eliminated in the second round of the US Open after a loss to Khachanov, and revealed he suffered from dizziness and vision problems: "I've never felt like this". The Canadian will undergo tests in an attempt to understand what happened to him.
Felix Auger-Aliassime ended his run at the US Open in the second round under worrying circumstances. The Canadian, ranked 4th in the world, lost yesterday, Thursday, to Karen Khachanov 6:7 (5), 6:3, 6:2, 6:2. After the match, he revealed that during the second set he began to suffer from dizziness and vision disturbances he had not experienced before.
"After a set and a half I started to feel unwell. I had dizziness, I saw spots and I couldn't recover," said Auger-Aliassime. "I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn't. I've never felt exactly like this. I've had cramps in the past and felt tired towards the end of matches, but in a normal way. This time it was a bit abnormal."
According to the 26-year-old Canadian, nothing hinted at the problem before he stepped onto the court. "There were no signs in the last two days and not this morning either. I don't know what it is. I will undergo tests and we will see what comes of them." Auger-Aliassime considered retiring during the match, and at the end of the third set hoped that a short break would allow him to recover, but his condition did not improve. When he was trailing 4:0 in the fourth set, he decided to complete the match anyway.
The data illustrated how much something went wrong. Auger-Aliassime committed a total of 99 errors during the four sets - 47 unforced and 52 forced - compared to 60 for Khachanov. After winning the first set, he did not lead again in the match.
"Karen is an excellent player, but I can't beat him or any other player in the draw when I feel the way I felt," said the Canadian. "If I can't move, we're not even talking about tennis. It's a shame. I would have preferred to lose and then talk about what I could have done better tennis-wise, but that's not the case."
Now Auger-Aliassime intends to return home and consult with doctors, physiotherapists, fitness coaches and nutritionists in an attempt to understand the source of the phenomenon. He is expected to return to action in about two weeks, when Canada hosts France in the Davis Cup in Quebec, his hometown.
