US Open: Four years felt like a lifetime, Canada's Felix back in Grand Slam semis

Felix Auger-Aliassime is back in the last four of the US Open, ending a long wait since his breakthrough run in New York in 2021. The Canadian mounted a thrilling comeback on Wednesday to defeat eighth seed Alex de Minaur 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5, 7-6(4) in an epic quarter-final that lasted more than four hours.

The 24-year-old, seeded 25th, has endured a turbulent season. He began 2025 brightly, winning titles in Adelaide and Montpellier on hard courts, only to fall into another slump as injuries and lapses in confidence crept in. But his US Open campaign has ignited at the right time, with impressive wins over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev already under his belt. Against de Minaur, he produced one of his finest performances in recent years, hitting 51 winners and 22 aces to keep his dream alive.

Auger-Aliassime looked in danger when he dropped the opening set and trailed deep into the second. But he dug deep, saving crucial points in an absorbing 85-minute tiebreak to level the match. That seemed to unlock his confidence as he grew more aggressive on serve and in rallies, pushing de Minaur constantly on the defensive.

The Canadian stayed calm through a tense third set before striking late to take it 7-5. De Minaur, ranked world No. 8, fought hard in the fourth and even pushed the match into another tiebreak, but once again Auger-Aliassime’s power proved decisive.

“It means the world to be back in this position,” Felix said afterwards. “Four years is a long time, and I’ve been through ups and downs. But nights like this remind me why I keep working.”

Looking ahead to the semis

For de Minaur, the loss was another painful exit at this stage. The Australian has now lost all six of his Grand Slam quarter-finals, still waiting to make his long-awaited breakthrough into the last four.

Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, climbs back into contention for a spot at the ATP Finals in Turin after surging up the live race standings with this run in New York. He will next face either defending champion and world number one Jannik Sinner, or Lorenzo Musetti, the rising Italian who is enjoying his best Slam run.

With a revived spark and momentum on his side, Felix suddenly looks like a dangerous contender again. And after four long years, Canada has its man back in the sharp end of a major.