Tennis – Canadian Auger-Aliassime is a dream come true

TOKYO, July 18 (Reuters) – Felix Auger-Aliassime will be a dream when she marches with her Canadian teammates at Friday’s Olympics opening ceremony, but the 20-year-old says he’s not on his way to Tokyo just to enjoy the moment.

Confidence will not be lacking for Auger-Aliasmims, who will turn 21 on the closing day of the Tokyo Olympics next month as he makes his debut in games after the last Wimbledon quarter-final – the best result in the Grand Slam.

His first memory of the Olympics was at the Beijing Games in 2008, when he was eight years old watching the march of Canadian athletes at the opening ceremony.

“I was amazed at them and I remember my dreams of one day walking where they walk,” Auger-Aliassime told the summer 2021 edition of ITFWorld magazine. “Just seeing myself in their shoes now and thinking that there is a child at home who is watching and maybe thinking the same as me is amazing.

“Honestly, I’m so excited. The Olympics were always my dream of growing up and my first memory saw how big it was. It goes far beyond your own sport or yourself. I love the Olympics and it becomes a dream come true.

“Being 20 years old and being able to say I’m going to be an Olympian is something very special.”

Auger-Aliassime leads Canadian prosecution at Ariake Tennis Park after his compatriot Denis Shapovalov withdrew due to the pandemic.

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu also joined the men’s world number 10 as Shapovalov withdrew due to similar concerns.

Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau have won Canada’s only tennis medal in a quadrennial show competition when they won the men’s pair in Sydney in 2000.

Auger-Aliassime hoped to fill the list.

“I’m not just going to enjoy the moment,” world number 15 said. “It’s about building now and getting into the Olympics, but when it’s closer to starting, it becomes more competition and victory.

“That’s why I go there. I go there to try and compete and win, I’m not just a kid to enjoy the moment.”

Sudipto Ganguly reports; edited by Sam Holmes

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