Félix Auger-Aliassime's US Open Exit Raises Health Concerns

Félix Auger-Aliassime’s US Open campaign ended with more questions than answers on Thursday, as the No. 3 seed bowed out in the second round and then revealed he had battled dizziness and vision issues for most of the match.

The Canadian fell 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to Russia’s Karen Khachanov, a scoreline that only hints at how quickly the night unraveled after a tight opening set.

A Match That Slipped Away

For a set and a half, it looked like a proper heavyweight contest. Auger-Aliassime edged the first-set tiebreak, appeared composed, and gave every indication he was ready to build on last year’s semifinal run in New York.

Then his body turned on him.

“After a set and a half, I just didn't feel well and (was) dizzy and seeing spots,” he told reporters. “I thought maybe it would pass but it didn't. That's the end of the tournament for me and now back to the drawing board.”

From that point, the numbers tell the story of a player fighting himself as much as the man across the net. His serve, usually a cornerstone of his game, deserted him. He landed only 58 per cent of first serves, faced 20 break points and was broken seven times. Eight double faults crept into his stat line, along with 47 unforced errors — far too many against a steady, punishing opponent like Khachanov, who finished with 30.

Both players struck 12 aces, but the Russian didn’t need brilliance so much as persistence. As Auger-Aliassime’s energy and timing dipped, Khachanov simply tightened the screws, taking control of baseline exchanges and rolling through the final three sets.

“Karen's a great player, but I cannot beat him or anyone in this draw feeling the way I felt today,” the 26-year-old said.

Health Mystery and Ranking Pressure

What troubled Auger-Aliassime most was the lack of warning. He said he felt fine before stepping onto court, with no obvious sign of the issues that would derail his night.

The plan now is to head home and undergo tests to understand what happened. For a player who has rebuilt momentum and climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 4, the timing is brutal. Last year’s semifinal appearance banked him a hefty haul of ranking points; this early exit puts those in jeopardy and may cost him his place among the very top names.

There is another layer of transition as well. Auger-Aliassime split with longtime coach Frederic Fontang earlier this summer and said he hopes to announce a new coach in the coming weeks. Whoever joins his camp will inherit a player still firmly in his prime, but now facing both physical concerns and the pressure of holding his place at the top of the sport.

Canadian Success in Doubles

While Auger-Aliassime’s singles run ended abruptly, Canadian success arrived elsewhere on the schedule.

In women’s doubles, second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa and Brazilian partner Luisa Stefani opened their campaign with authority, dismissing Russia’s Irina Khromacheva and Anastasia Detiuc of Czechia 6-1, 6-3.

They served with clarity and intent, firing four aces and 21 winners to just nine from their opponents. It was the kind of clean, efficient performance expected from a top-seeded pair with serious title ambitions. Dabrowski, who lifted her second US Open doubles trophy last year alongside Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, clearly enjoys these courts and this stage.

Dabrowski and Stefani will next face the winners of Friday’s match between Italy’s Sara Errani and Austria’s Lilli Tagger and American twins Kristina and Annika Penickova — an encounter that should offer a clearer picture of how firm their grip is on this section of the draw.

Fernandez in Form, Big Test Ahead

Leylah Fernandez also made a statement in doubles. Teaming with Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, the Laval, Que., native cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Slovenia’s Nika Radisic and Isabelle Haverlag of the Netherlands.

It was a rout, the kind of outing that allows a team to conserve energy while still sharpening their patterns. Next up for Fernandez and Tjen: Routliffe and Indonesian partner Aldila Sutjiadi, a pairing with enough pedigree to turn that match into a genuine test.

Fernandez’s schedule only intensifies from here. She was slated to return to singles duty on Friday with a third-round clash against third seed Jessica Pegula of the United States — a marquee matchup that will measure exactly where her hardcourt game stands against one of the most consistent players on tour.

On the men’s side, Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., was set for his own high-stakes assignment in the third round, taking on eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton. Another Canadian, another night match, another opportunity to shift the narrative of this tournament.

Auger-Aliassime leaves New York searching for answers. His compatriots stay in the draw chasing something far more familiar: deep runs and big wins on one of tennis’s loudest stages.