“I don’t have all the answers now”: Seventh seed Auger-Aliassime retires against Borges in Melbourne thriller
A bewildered Felix Auger-Aliassime was forced to retire from his first-round clash against Nuno Borges on Monday
Félix Auger-Aliassime | © PsNewz
The Australian Open’s men’s singles draw lost one of its most prominent contenders on Monday as the seventh seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime, was forced to retire from his opening-round match against Portugal’s Nuno Borges. The world number eight, who entered the tournament on the back of a career-best season finish, saw his campaign cut short in the early stages of the fourth set due to severe cramping. At the time of the withdrawal, Borges was leading 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 ret.
In his post-match press conference, a frustrated Auger-Aliassime provided clarity on the nature of the issue, dismissing initial speculation of a structural injury in favor of a more baffling cause: total body cramping. He noted that the symptoms began to manifest at the start of the third set and made it impossible to maintain the level of play required at a Grand Slam.
I don’t have all the answers now.
“I tried for a set, but it wasn’t possible today”, Auger-Aliassime told reporters. “I don’t have all the answers now. I try to do everything I can in my control to get ready, so it hurts even more because I know I was doing everything right. I’m not totally finding the reasons why this is happening. It wasn’t happening in the past, so I’ll have to figure it out.”
The contest began with the expected intensity of a top-ten clash. Auger-Aliassime appeared to have the upper hand initially, dictating play with his heavy service game and securing the first set 6-3. However, the momentum began to shift in the second set as Borges, the world number 46, remained disciplined and capitalized on a slight dip in the Canadian’s consistency to level the match.
The physical narrative of the encounter shifted dramatically at the start of the third set. Auger-Aliassime began showing signs of distress, occasionally clutching at his legs between points. Though he managed to continue through the set, his movement became visibly restricted, particularly when forced into lateral sprints.
I want to be on the court competing with my opponent.
Despite taking a medical timeout late in the third frame to address what initially appeared to be a thigh or foot issue, the Canadian was unable to recover his range of motion. After Borges served out the third set to take a two-sets-to-one lead, Auger-Aliassime played only two points of the fourth set before deciding he could no longer compete effectively.
The Canadian expressed a particular sense of bewilderment regarding the timing, noting that he had rarely experienced such issues so early in a tournament or a match. He clarified that while he had been briefly ill during the United Cup earlier in the month, he felt he had recovered well and that his team had been precise with his preparation in Melbourne. Ultimately, his decision to stop was driven by a refusal to merely exist on court without the ability to fight back.
“I don’t like to be on the court that way”, he added. “I want to be on the court competing with my opponent. I don’t want to be just standing there like a punching bag. So there’s no point, and you know you have to move on”.
Borges : “I feel for him”
For Nuno Borges, the victory represents a significant advancement, albeit through a difficult set of circumstances. The Portuguese player has shown a penchant for success at Melbourne Park, having reached the fourth round in 2024 and the second round in 2025. In his on-court interview, Borges was quick to offer support to his opponent, acknowledging the brutal nature of the professional tennis calendar.
“I feel for him”, Borges said. “I know how it feels to struggle physically. It is part of tennis. It’s a really long schedule. It’s really hard to stay on top of our game and physically it is very demanding. I can totally understand. I hope he gets better quick and back to his best level.”
The retirement marks a disappointing conclusion to the Canadian men’s singles contingent in Melbourne. With the earlier losses of Gabriel Diallo and Liam Draxl, Auger-Aliassime’s exit ensures that no Canadian men will feature in the second round this year. Borges now moves into the round of 64, where he will face either the Australian wildcard Jordan Thompson or the Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
