During the 2025 ATP Finals match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev, both playing their final round-robin match and needing a victory to make the semifinals, one thing was clear: Whoever won was going to make easy work for Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday.
Zverev and Auger-Aliassime appeared in the second set as if they didn't want to win. Each kept making unforced errors, putting their opponent in seemingly easy win spots, only to see their opponent make their own careless mistakes. It was not a lesson in how to play tennis well.
The first set wasn't as messy. Auger-Aliassime was the faster and more controlled player, but each had more winners than unforced errors. Both were serving decently as well, and not beating themselves.
Felix Auger-Aliassime outlasts Alexander Zverev at the 2025 ATP Finals
The Canadian took advantage of one of his four break points, though, and that was the difference in the set. Auger-Aliassime took set one 6-4.
Then the second set started, and the players appeared tired and tight, especially during the bigger points. Auger-Aliassime, looking to move up to No. 5 in the live ATP rankings for the first time, seemed to get tighter as the match wore on, a few times getting to 0-30 on Zverev's serve only for the German to win the next four points.
Neither was able to get a break, while they often had their chances. If either were to face Alcaraz in the semifinals, they would have to do a better job of taking advantage of their likely few opportunities. The difference between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the top two players on the ATP tour by a wide margin, is that they limit chances for their opponents while ruthlessly stealing games from others.
Auger-Aliassime and Zverev appeared nowhere capable of performing well against Sinner or Alcaraz, both of whom had locked in their spots in the ATP Finals semis and are likely to face each other in a final once again.
The second set reached a tie-break, and the Canadian got an early mini-break but could not hold it. He got another chance to get to match point with Zverev serving at 6-4, and this time he did take advantage to win the tie-break 7-4. He is having a career year with a huge chance to have a special 2026.