A Relentless Comeback: Aliassime Stuns Zverev, Charging Toward Turin Glory
15 November 2025
Turin Showdown: Aliassime advances to the semifinals
Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian, returned to action with purpose in the group stage night at the Nitto ATP Finals, edging past Alexander Zverev to book a semifinal berth in Turin.
He beat Zverev, a two-time year-end champion, 6-4 7-6 in a direct clash to finish second behind Italy’s Yannick Sinner in the Bjorn Borg group.
Having dropped his first three sets earlier in the week, he had flirted with an early exit at the ENAL Arena, but after beating Ben Shelton in a comeback win and then eliminating Zverev, he now faces Carlos Alcaraz with confidence.
“I will seize my opportunity if it comes,” Aliassime said when asked about facing Alcaraz, per the ATP Tour site. “This tournament means a lot for players; it’s like a Grand Final, you look at the champions’ list and want to be in the final, but I have to get past a great player to do it.”
With the win, he earned his 50th tour-level win of the season, becoming the second Canadian to reach the year-end semis after Milos Raonic in 2016. He also completed the year with another win against Zverev, despite the German leading their head-to-head 6-4.
Match details
Facing constant pressure on his serve, Aliassime saved break points at 30/40 in the fifth and ninth games of the first set, and seized the opener on a spectacular crosscourt winner in the fourth chance. Zverev saved three set points at 4-5 and 0/40, but Aliassime struck in the decisive moments to take the set.
In a tightly contested second set, both players fought for consistency. Zverev appeared frustrated by a court where he had lifted the trophy in 2021, while Aliassime missed some chances on return.
In a gripping tiebreak, Aliassime held firm, sealing a two-hour-seven-minute victory and advancing to the semis.
“The first set was great; he had some chances, but I served well to save them,” Aliassime said. “The start of the second was solid as well; I had many opportunities.”
Heading into the week, Aliassime rose three spots to world No. 5, chasing his fourth ATP Tour title in Turin after wins in Adelaide, Montpellier, and Brussels. He now owns 85 indoor wins this season, the most on tour, five more than Sinner.
He reached the semis after narrowly avoiding missing the year-end by qualifying in the late hours before the event began. He had to win Paris to qualify, but lost to Sinner in the final; the eighth and final spot hung between him and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti before a Djokovic withdrawal sealed his place. Musetti then qualified for the year-end event for the first time in his career, while Musetti exited early this week.
Punchline: If his serve keeps pace, the lines judges will start charging rent for overtime calls.
Punchline: The ball might need a vacation after all that spin—even it deserves a break after all that drama on this court.
