Canadian tennis player Felix Auger-Aliassime successfully defended his Open Occitanie championship by defeating France’s Adrian Mannarino in the final with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Sunday. Auger-Aliassime clinched the victory by securing five consecutive points in the third set tiebreak, highlighted by his 13th ace of the match to take a 5-4 lead before claiming the final two points on return. His exceptional serving performance allowed him to win 87% of first-serve points.
Expressing his respect for Mannarino as a formidable opponent, Auger-Aliassime stated, “Adrian is always a tough player to face, and I knew today’s match would be challenging. Winning here once again is an incredible feeling, and I’m delighted with my performance throughout the week, especially today.”
Auger-Aliassime’s triumph marked him as only the second player to defend the title in Montpellier, following in the footsteps of Richard Gasquet. This victory also earned Auger-Aliassime his ninth ATP title, establishing him as the Canadian male player with the most singles titles in the Open Era, surpassing the retired Milos Raonic.
As the tournament’s top seed and world number eight, Auger-Aliassime further solidified his dominance by extending his lead in indoor wins on the ATP Tour this decade to 89, with world number two Jannik Sinner trailing at 83 wins. The Canadian athlete now holds a 2-1 head-to-head record against Mannarino, who entered the competition as a wildcard participant.
Mannarino, who reached a career-high ranking of 17 in early 2024, faced a decline in form that led to his exit from the top 100 rankings. Heading into this event, he was ranked 70th in the world.