It’s that time of year when Felix Auger-Aliassime does a lot of damage, and that’s exactly what he’s doing again in 2026.
One of the world’s most sought after heavyweight players, Auger-Aliassime took the title last week in Montpellier and now finds himself in the final of the ABN AMRO Open following victories over Alexei Popyrin, Hamad Medjedovic, Tallon Griekspoor, and Alexander Bublik. The sixth-ranked Canadian has yet to drop a single set in Rotterdam and only Griekspoor managed to force a tiebreaker.
Standing in Auger-Aliassime’s path to the trophy on Sunday is De Minaur, who trail the series head-to-head 4-2 (3-1 on the grand tour). Auger-Aliassime won both of their previous indoor tournaments – 7-5, 6-3 in the 2017 Drummondville Challenger and 6-3, 6-4 in the 2022 Davis Cup final. They recently met in the 2025 US Open final, with the Canadians winning 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (4).
De Minaur may not be as talented as his rival in this area, but he is an absolute force in Rotterdam. This marks the Aussie’s eighth consecutive appearance in the final of the ATP 500 event, finishing second to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. De Minaur’s recent run in Rotterdam came against Arthur Fils, Stan Wawrinka, Botic van de Zandschulp, and Ugo Humbert.
But it was not easy. De Minaur defeated Van de Zandschulp 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 and faced 10 break points – all of which he saved – in a 6-4, 6-3 win over Humbert.
Although it is not easy against De Minaur (except Sinner), almost all advantages go to Auger-Aliassime. The 25-year-old dominated this matchup – especially indoors – and is both fired up and well-rested. In addition, the pressure is on De Minaur – even less – after two consecutive failures in the final in Rotterdam.
Select: Auger-Aliassime in 2
