Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime Withdraws From 2024 National Bank Open Citing Knee Injury
Key keywords: Felix Auger-Aliassime, National Bank Open 2024, ATP Masters 1000 Canada, tennis injury withdrawal, 2024 North American hard court swing, Canadian men's professional tennis, Montreal ATP tournament
On August 4, 2024, Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime announced his official withdrawal from the upcoming National Bank Open, the ATP Masters 1000 event hosted this year in Montreal, after suffering a flare-up of left knee patellar tendinitis during pre-tournament training sessions. The 23-year-old Quebec native, who was seeded 8th in this year’s draw, had been widely tipped as a dark horse for the title on home soil, following a strong recent run of form that saw him reach the quarterfinals of the Citi Open in Washington D.C. just one week prior.
In an official statement released by his management team, Auger-Aliassime explained that the decision to withdraw was made on the recommendation of his medical support team, who advised that continued competitive play could worsen the injury and risk derailing his entire 2024 hard court season, including his preparation for the US Open scheduled to begin later this month. “Playing in front of my home fans is always the highlight of my season, and I was so excited to compete for the title in Montreal this year,” Auger-Aliassime said in the statement. “It’s incredibly disappointing to have to pull out, but I know prioritizing my long-term health right now is the only choice. I’m going to follow my recovery plan closely, and I hope to be back on court in time for Flushing Meadows.”
Tournament organizers for the National Bank Open released a statement shortly after the announcement, expressing their disappointment at Auger-Aliassime’s withdrawal but extending their full support for his recovery. “Felix is one of the most beloved players on tour, and his presence at our event always draws massive support from fans across the country,” the statement read. “We fully respect his decision to put his health first, and we can’t wait to welcome him back to the National Bank Open next year.”
The National Bank Open, which rotates annually between Montreal and Toronto, is one of the most prestigious stops on the ATP Tour, offering 1000 ranking points to the champion and serving as a key warm-up event for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season. Auger-Aliassime’s spot in the main draw will be filled by a lucky loser from the qualifying tournament, with the main draw action set to kick off on August 6.
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As a Montreal local who bought a full tournament pass specifically to watch Felix play this year, I’m absolutely gutted. He’s been playing some of the best tennis of his career over the past month, and I really thought he had a shot at winning the title on home soil. All we can do now is hope his knee heals quickly and he’s ready to go for the US Open — we’ll be cheering him on just as loud from here!
This is such a tough break for Auger-Aliassime, who finally seemed to be pulling out of the early-season slump that plagued him for the first half of 2024. The National Bank Open would have been the perfect chance for him to pick up valuable Masters 1000 ranking points in front of a supportive crowd, but long-term health is always more important than any single event. I hope he takes all the time he needs to recover instead of rushing back and making the injury worse.
Felix is easily one of the most respectful and hardworking players on the ATP tour, so it’s really sad to see him have to miss his home tournament. I still remember his 2022 run here where he pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets in the semifinals, the energy in the stadium that night was unreal. Wishing him a speedy and full recovery, can’t wait to see him back on court as soon as possible.