In the fourth set tie-break between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the US Open, neither player serves well. Half of the first eight points were decided by double faults. In the end, the Canadian did what he had done throughout the match.
After the Australian had taken the first set 6-4, Auguer-Aliassime kept his cool, didn't do anything extraordinary, but just enough to beat a player who is a lot like him. Neither Auger-Aliassime nor de Minaur has a real knockout punch of a shot. Each is solid and consistent, but never consistently elite.
The truth is that neither shows much personality either on the court or off it. Does this make them lesser players? Of course, not. Both are talented and worthy of winning high-stress tournaments. Tennis doesn't need them to, though, especially in New York.
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeats Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals of the 2025 US Open
At four hours long, the match was a blip below being exciting. The reason it went so long is simply because each player is good, but neither will ever be great. They lack the shot-making of someone such as Carlos Alcaraz, and they lack the fire of someone like Frances Tiafoe.
Would the winner of the Auger-Aliassime and de Minaur match have a chance at winning the US Open? Not really. They are good enough to reach the quarterfinals in a bracket that was mostly underwhelming, and they didn't have to take on Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, or Taylor Fritz.
Auger-Aliassime took the match in four tight sets. After dropping the first set, he won the last three 7-6(7) 7-5 7-6(4). The Canadian did have 22 aces, but each player had 11 double faults. That is the kind of tennis that would get both players beaten by higher-end talent.
The more aggressive Felix Auger-Aliassime also had 51 winners against 50 unforced errors. He will need to be even more aggressive in the semifinals when he plays the winner of the Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti match. The Canadian will not be favored to move to the finals.