Felix Auger-Aliassime rules Montpellier again with victory over Adrian Mannarino
The world No 8 secured his ninth career title and second consecutive Open Occitanie crown after a high-stakes final in the Sud de France Arena on Sunday evening.
Félix Auger-Aliassime, Montpellier 2026 | © Open Occitanie / Jb Autissier
Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 25-year-old Canadian and top seed, reaffirmed his absolute dominance on the indoor courts of Montpellier this Sunday, February 8, 2026. Facing 37-year-old local favorite Adrian Mannarino in the final of the ATP 250 event (6-3, 7-6 [4]), Auger-Aliassime displayed the clinical form that has characterized his recent surge.
This victory marks his ninth professional title, with a remarkable eight of those coming on indoor hard courts, cementing his reputation as one of the world’s premier indoor specialists, just three months after his final at the Rolex Paris Masters (defeated by Sinner) and his semifinal at the ATP Finals (defeated by Alcaraz).
This title also carries significant weight in terms of physical reassurance, effectively chasing away the lingering doubts that followed his campaign in Melbourne. After suffering from severe cramps during a disappointing exit at the Australian Open last month, there were legitimate questions surrounding the top seed’s fitness and his ability to withstand the rigors of a full tournament week.
Two blank games as a start
The Canadian started the match with breathtaking intensity, winning the first eight points in a row to secure two consecutive blank games and immediately put the Frenchman on the defensive.
While Mannarino, the world No 70, tried to find his tactical rhythm and low-skidding variety, Auger-Aliassime’s power from the baseline proved overwhelming. The top seed secured two breaks of serve in the opening set, eventually closing it out 6-3 with a thunderous forehand winner that left the home favorite stranded.
The second set proved far more competitive as Mannarino’s legendary defensive grit began to frustrate the Canadian. The drama reached a fever pitch at 5-4 FAA when, at 30-30, Mannarino desperately threw his racquet to try and catch a ball at the net on a point that eventually led to the first match point for the Canadian. Mannarino managed to save that initial match point with a clinical service winner and held his fist high as he leveled the set at 6-6 to force a tie-break.
In the deciding tie-break, Mannarino took an early 4-2 lead, putting the defending champion under immense pressure. However, Auger-Aliassime responded with the poise of a top ten player. He produced a spectacular passing winner on his forehand followed by an ace that clipped the extreme limit of the line to pull back into the contest. On his second match point, the Canadian finally broke through with a sharp cross-court forehand winner.
Fourth player to win the title twice
Earlier in the week, Auger-Aliassime had emphasized the importance of his individual goals, stating: “I have the challenge for this year to return to Turin, to stay in the top eight in the world, so tournaments like here, tournaments like Rotterdam, it is an important tournament for me, especially in indoor like this.”
To lift the trophy, Auger-Aliassime navigated a difficult draw, defeating Frenchman Titouan Droguet 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1, No 6 seed Arthur Fils 6-4, 6-2, and Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-6 (3). Mannarino’s run to the final was equally impressive, including an emotional victory over American Martin Damm 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 and a grueling three-set battle against No 5 seed Ugo Humbert 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4).
With this result, Auger-Aliassime becomes the fourth player to win twice the Montpellier Open after Richard Gasquet (2014, 2016), Gaël Monfils (2015, 2020) and Alexander Bublik (2022, 2024). He is the first one to do it twice.
