Félix Auger-Aliassime, Canada’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, withdrew from the National Bank Open in his hometown of Montreal on Wednesday, roughly two hours before his scheduled second-round match, after a back injury he first felt in practice on Monday would not clear up in time.
The 25-year-old, seeded second and ranked fourth in the world, was set to face French qualifier Titouan Droguet at IGA Stadium on Wednesday night. Tournament organizers had already pushed the match back a full day, from Tuesday to Wednesday, to give him extra time to recover after Tuesday’s session sold out on the strength of his hometown appeal.
“I had zero problems,” Auger-Aliassime told reporters, describing how the pain appeared suddenly during training after two injury-free weeks in Montreal. “It’s happened for me in the past, but it’s just the timing, it’s tough, right, for it to happen here.” By Wednesday morning, he said, he “essentially couldn’t serve,” making competing impossible. “The decision is not complicated to make, but very difficult to accept.”
The withdrawal is a significant blow both for Auger-Aliassime and for the tournament. He arrived in Montreal with a career-high ranking of No. 4, fresh off quarterfinal runs at the French Open and a five-set battle with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, and carrying the tournament’s highest-ever seed for a Canadian man in the ATP’s Open Era. His goal was to become the first Canadian man to win the National Bank Open singles title since Robert Bédard in 1958.
Withdrawals ahead of the tournament by top seed Jannik Sinner, Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz had cleared an unusually favourable path through the draw, putting the spotlight squarely on the Montreal native as the last Canadian man standing in singles after Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo both retired from their matches with injuries on Tuesday, and Liam Draxl and Duncan Chan lost in the first round.
Tournament director Valérie Tétreault called the injury “pretty much the worst news,” noting the contrast with last year, when breakout Canadian star Victoria Mboko lifted the women’s title on home soil. “To see Félix face this situation is really the worst scenario,” she said, adding organizers had rarely been able to announce a sold-out session a full day in advance the way they did for his originally scheduled match.
The tournament’s misfortune extended into Wednesday’s play: top seed and French Open champion Alexander Zverev was upset by Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev lost to Botic van de Zandschulp, leaving the event without any of the ATP’s top six players. Droguet now faces lucky loser Jaime Faria of Portugal, while sixth-ranked Alex de Minaur and 2025 champion Ben Shelton become the tournament’s new headliners for the remaining eight days.
Auger-Aliassime said he will undergo further medical tests Thursday and does not yet know when he will play again. “The word that comes to mind is a shame, because I arrived in good condition here in Montreal and I was ready to play in front of the Québécois crowd,” he said. “It’s sad, but life goes on.”
Via The Canadian Press, “Canada’s Auger-Aliassime withdraws as top seeds exit early at National Bank Open,” Aug. 5, 2026, and National Bank Open staff reporting, nationalbankopen.com.
