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Canadian speaks to ATPWorldTour.com after winning his first ATP Challenger Tour title in Lyon, France
Felix Auger-Aliassime capped a historic run to the title at the Open Sopra Steria, claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour crown in Lyon, France. An unseeded wild card, the Canadian defeated Mathias Bourgue 6-4, 6-1 after one hour and 19 minutes in Sunday's final.
At just 16 years and 10 months, Auger-Aliassime etched his name in the history books, becoming the seventh-youngest titlist in Challenger history. He is the youngest since 16-year-old Bernard Tomic prevailed in Melbourne, Australia, in 2009.
The singles champion at the US Open boys' competition last year, Auger-Aliassime has focused exclusively on his professional aspirations in 2017. The decision has been a fruitful one, with the Canadian poised to break into the Top 250 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 231. He is the youngest player to do so since Juan Martin del Potro in August 2005. Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet also made their Top 250 debuts as 16 year olds in 2002.
The €64,000 event in Lyon is held at one of the oldest tennis clubs in France. The Tennis Club de Lyon was founded in 1864 and was the training ground of French legend Henri Cochet.

ATPWorldTour.com spoke to Auger-Aliassime after the victory:
Congratulations Felix on winning your first Challenger title. How does it feel to be standing with the trophy?
It feels great. After all the work this season, starting off on the Futures tour and then starting to play more and more Challengers, I was grateful to get the opportunity to have a wild card here in Lyon. I never expected to come back with the trophy, but I believed in myself and it paid off in the end.
You won three three-set matches entering the final. What was the key for you this week?
The mental part of my game. I was staying very solid mentally. It's tough playing adults here. It's very different from the juniors and Futures. The guys don't give many free points, so I had to stay very solid physically and mentally. I was not playing my best tennis at the beginning of the week. Just staying in the matches and handling my serve was the key to playing some of the best tennis of my life.
You are one of the youngest players to ever win a Challenger title. Did you expect it to come this quickly in your career?
Nothing is written in advance, so I don't expect it from myself. I just give everything I have and push myself to the limit. That's what I did this week. I don't give myself any limits. If I could win every match I play, that would be great, but you have to deal with all kinds of situations. That's what I did this week.
16 & Under In The Top 250 (since 2000)
Player Top 250 Debut Ranking
Debut Date
Age
Felix Auger-Aliassime
No. 231
19 Jun 2017
16 years, 10 months
Juan Martin del Potro
No. 237
1 Aug 2005
16 years, 10 months
Rafael Nadal
No. 236
14 Oct 2002
16 years, 4 months
Richard Gasquet
No. 212
8 July 2002
16 years, 20 days
How inspiring was it to see your close friend and countryman Denis Shapovalov win the Drummondville Challenger title? Did that push you to win one too?
Yeah, it definitely pushed me. We're both great friends. Obviously I was disappointed when I lost to him in the semi-finals, but when he won the title I was really happy for him. I think it really pushed me to get it this week. That was one of my main objectives for this year, to win a Challenger title.
You had a difficult draw this week. Talk about how your game has improved on clay.
I've been playing more and more on clay over the last few years. Having clay courts in our national centre in Montreal has helped develop my game. I played a lot of junior tournaments on clay and reached the final of the French Open last year. I'm getting more experience and I'm getting used to it. It paid off this week.
Your biggest win came in the quarter-finals against another teen in Casper Ruud. What did you do well to beat him in three sets?
I served well the whole match. I was dominating from the baseline and was able to put a lot of pressure on him. I put good trajectories and pace on the ball. It helped me to dominate him from the baseline and the mental side was important too. Even though I lost a tight second set that I should have won, I was able to fight back and stay in the moment.
This is your first year competing exclusively on the ATP Challenger Tour. What has the experience been like for you?
It's been tough. Far from easy. It's getting used to a different lifestyle and adapting myself to a higher level than the Futures or juniors. I spent five weeks in Asia recently and that was pretty hard. It's always about getting used to the level and at the end of the day I'm just happy that I'm playing fully on the Challenger Tour.
What made you decide to turn away from juniors this year and focus solely on pro events?
After my win at the US Open juniors last year, we didn't automatically make a decision. We decided when I won my first pro tournament, a Futures title, in November. I knew I had the level to play with these guys.
Have you given any thought to the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan? You will have a few chances to make it in the coming years.
It's not my main objective this year, but I think it's a good event. It's motivating for the young players and if I can qualify it will be a bonus. Obviously I would love to play in the next few years.
What are your impressions on the tournament in Lyon?
It's been great. I've been here since last week and everyone has been treating me perfectly. The staff, all the volunteers, the ball kids and everyone else involved in the tournament have been very nice. It's a really great event.

Canadian teen one of the youngest to break into Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings
The Canadian conquest of the Emirates ATP Rankings has begun. Four weeks ago, the nation staked claim to the youngest player in the Top 100, as 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov continued his stunning ascent. On Monday, it will also have the youngest player in the Top 200.
Felix Auger-Aliassime continues to make history as he soars up the Emirates ATP Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 168 with his second ATP Challenger Tour title. The teen stormed back from a set and a break down to defeat Inigo Cervantes in Sevilla, Spain, on Saturday. With the victory, at 17 years and one month, he becomes the youngest to break into the Top 200 since Rafael Nadal in 2002.
"It's quite special," said Auger-Aliassime about the achievement. "It just proves that I'm doing the right things. But I'm aiming for much more than that. There's still a lot of work to do and hopefully I'll keep going like this."
Over the past 20 years, only three players younger than the Canadian have made their Top 200 debut: Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt and Richard Gasquet.
Youngest To Make Top 200 Debut In Past 20 Years
Player Year Age
Richard Gasquet
2002 16 years, 1 month
Rafael Nadal
2002 16 years, 6 months
Lleyton Hewitt
1998 16 years, 10 months
Felix Auger-Aliassime
2017
17 years, 1 month, 5 days
Juan Martin del Potro
2005 17 years, 1 month, 8 days
The history-making week did not stop there. Auger-Aliassime also cemented himself in the ATP Challenger Tour record books, becoming the second-youngest player to win multiple titles. He stands behind only Gasquet, who was 16 years and eight months old when he claimed his second crown in Sarajevo in 2003.
Auger-Aliassime and Gasquet are two of only 10 players to win multiple Challenger titles at age 17 & under, also including Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Tomas Berdych, and most recently Taylor Fritz. He lifted his maiden trophy in Lyon in June.

The Copa Sevilla celebrated its 20th edition with the Canadian's victory, but also claimed a slice of history itself. The €64,000 event is the first tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour to boast consecutive 17 year old champions, with Casper Ruud lifting the trophy in 2016.
Auger-Aliassime is no stranger to etching his name in the record books, having become the first player born in the 2000s to earn an Emirates ATP Rankings point, when he qualified for the Drummondville Challenger in 2015. He is also the youngest player to win a match on the ATP Challenger Tour, at 14 years, 11 months, later that year in Granby, Canada.