Félix Auger-Aliassime unleashes serving clinic against Bublik to set up elite Rotterdam final with De Minaur
Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday evening and will face Australian Alex De Minaur, the top seed, for the title
Félix Auger-Aliassime, Rotterdam 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
In a performance of startling efficiency, Félix Auger-Aliassime stormed into the ABN AMRO Open final on Saturday evening, dismantling third seed Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-2. The Canadian second seed needed just 54 minutes to secure his place in the championship match of the Rotterdam ATP 500 event, extending his current winning streak to eight matches and maintaining a perfect 8-0 record on indoor hard courts in 2026.
Auger-Aliassime’s dominance was rooted in a historic serving display. He won a staggering 27 out of 28 points behind his first serve, leaving Bublik with virtually no opportunity to engage in the contest.
The pressure exerted by the Canadian was relentless; while he remained untouchable on his own delivery, he consistently broke the Kazakh’s rhythm, with Bublik managing to hold serve only three times across seven service games.
The best inoor players behind Alcaraz an Sinner
This level of play marks a continuation of the form that saw Auger-Aliassime successfully defend his Montpellier title last week. Now entering his 22nd career ATP final and his third in Rotterdam, the world No. 6 appears to be the gold standard for indoor tennis this season.
“Every day you come out when you’re on a streak and you don’t know if it might be the night that it’ll end”, Auger-Aliassime said after the match. “But tonight wasn’t the night. It was for sure my best match in a long time. I don’t know what the numbers are but the efficiency everywhere, the precision… The intentions were clear and I was just striking the ball well. When you feel like that on court it’s a joy to play tennis. Obviously it’s different for the opponent, but in regards to my game it’s a great feeling.”
De Minaur and I have a lot of respect for each other and we’re gonna show that tomorrow, he added, but it’s not time to be friends
The result sets up a highly anticipated final against top seed Alex de Minaur, who reached his third consecutive Rotterdam final earlier in the day. The matchup is a significant one for the tour, as it pits the two players who reached the semifinals of the 2025 ATP Finals against each other. Behind the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Auger-Aliassime and De Minaur have established themselves as the premier indoor specialists on the circuit.
“We’re great friends off the court, I mean we have a lot of respect for each other and we’re gonna show that tomorrow, he added, but it’s not time to be friends. Battling and great sportsmanship. But at the same time only one can lift the trophy so we both have to go for it.”
By reaching the Rotterdam final, Félix Auger-Aliassime has secured his 14th indoor hard-court final (8 titles), placing him fourth among active male players for most finals on the surface, trailing only Novak Djokovic (26), Gaël Monfils (18), and Marin Čilić (15).
While De Minaur made history this week as the first man to reach three straight finals at this event, he will face a daunting challenge in the Canadian.
3-1 Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over the Australian, including a victory in their most recent encounter at the 2025 US Open quarterfinals, a match that hurted De Minaur a lot.
As a former Rotterdam champion (2022), the Canadian is seeking to reclaim his crown, while De Minaur – who lost to Alcaraz and Sinner in the last two finals here – is desperate to break his runner-up streak. Given that both men are at the peak of their indoor powers, Sunday’s final is expected to be a high-velocity battle for supremacy.
