Felix Auger-Aliassime has accumulated considerable fatigue during the European indoor swing, and to make matters worse, he was forced to retire from his quarterfinal match in Basel last week due to a knee injury. Despite these challenging circumstances, he continues to show strong determination and fighting spirit, grinding out wins as he pushes for an unlikely spot at the ATP Finals.
Both of Felix Auger-Aliassime’s matches at the Paris Masters this week have been long, hard-fought battles against underdogs Francisco Comesana and Alexandre Muller, opponents he would normally beat comfortably indoors if he were fresh and fully fit. Still, with these wins, he continues to apply pressure on Lorenzo Musetti in the race for the eighth and final qualifying spot at the year-end championships in Turin.
The Canadian has been one of the top performers, if not the very best, on indoor hard courts in 2025, winning 14 of his 17 matches and reaching the quarterfinals in all three tournaments he has entered. He will look to extend that streak with one more win in Paris. This marks Felix’s best indoor season since 2022, when he posted an impressive 34–7 record on the surface, captured three consecutive ATP titles during the European indoor swing, and reached the semifinals at the Paris Masters.
The final stretch of the season often provides underdogs with a chance to claim big-name scalps, as many top players arrive fatigued after a long, demanding year. Daniel Altmaier found himself in one such favorable position in the second round of the Paris Masters and made the most of it, defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets.
To his credit, the German has built a reputation for raising his level against top players. His win over Casper Ruud marked his sixth career victory against a top-10 opponent in just 16 meetings. He will need to beat another top-10 player on Thursday to secure his best-ever result at the Paris Masters, having previously reached the round of 16 in 2023, where he also lost to a top-10 player, Holger Rune.
Head-to-head: Daniel Altmaier leads 2–1. Altmaier faces a similar challenge to the one he encountered in the second round on Wednesday, taking on an in-form top-10 opponent who is also showing signs of fatigue. This situation once again gives the German a possible opening to push for an upset.
However, Felix Auger-Aliassime’s superior ability, particularly indoors, makes him the rightful favorite. There is still some uncertainty about how much energy he has left, as this will be his third straight week of intense competition and his third consecutive matchday following back-to-back three-set battles.
