Félix Auger-Aliassime, the 26th seed in the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, has officially withdrawn from the event just before his scheduled match against Thiago Seyboth Wild on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The Canadian tennis star, who has been struggling on clay this season, cited lower back discomfort as the reason for his withdrawal, as reported by journalist José Morgado.
This unfortunate turn of events comes at a time when Auger-Aliassime has not managed to secure a victory on clay this year, marking a worrying five-match losing streak. His recent performances have seen him exit early in tournaments at Monte-Carlo, Munich, Madrid, and Estoril, all in the first round. The 24-year-old from Montreal has faced tough competition, losing to players ranked outside the top 50, which has raised concerns about his form.
In Auger-Aliassime's absence, Hugo Dellien, currently ranked 103rd in the world, has stepped in as a lucky loser and will now face Wild in the Round of 64. Dellien has a competitive history against Wild, having won their only previous encounter at an ATP event on clay in Cordoba last year. The two players have faced each other eight times in Challenger tournaments, splitting their encounters evenly with four wins apiece. However, Dellien has been on a winning streak against Wild, having taken the last three matches against him.
The match between Dellien and Wild is set to take place after the match between Elina Svitolina and Hailey Baptiste on the Pietrangeli court. The winner of this matchup will likely face a formidable opponent in either Alex de Minaur, who is currently ranked 8th in the world, or Italian wildcard Luca Nardi, ranked 95th.
As for Auger-Aliassime, if he recovers from his back issues in time, he is expected to compete in the ATP 500 event in Hamburg that follows the Rome tournament. This could be a crucial opportunity for him to break his losing streak and regain his confidence on the court.
In other news from the tournament, the fourth day of the men's event has been marked by notable performances and surprising results. Taylor Fritz, the 4th seed and a strong contender, faced an unexpected exit in his first match against fellow American Marcos Giron, ranked 45th. The match ended in a tight two-set battle, with Giron winning 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3).
Meanwhile, Hubert Hurkacz, ranked 31st, advanced by defeating Pedro Martinez (49th) with a score of 6-1, 7-5. The day also saw the return of world number one Jannik Sinner, who was back in action after serving a three-month suspension. Sinner's return was highly anticipated, and fans are eager to see how he performs in the tournament.
In a surprising twist, Andrey Rublev, ranked 17th, was eliminated by Hungarian player Fabian Marozsan, who is currently ranked 61st. The match concluded with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in favor of Marozsan, who will next face either Matteo Gigante (164th) or Jakub Mensik (21st), the latter having recently achieved a significant upset by winning the Masters 1000 in Miami.
On a more predictable note, Casper Ruud, ranked 7th, secured his place in the next round after a hard-fought match against Alexander Bublik (76th), winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Ruud, who recently triumphed at the Masters 1000 in Madrid, will next face Matteo Berrettini (30th), who also advanced after defeating Jacob Fearnley (57th) with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (7/0).
The tournament continues to unfold with high stakes and intense competition, as players vie for crucial points and prestige on the ATP tour. Fans are eagerly watching to see if Auger-Aliassime can make a comeback in Hamburg and if Dellien can capitalize on this unexpected opportunity in Rome.
