‘I was seeing spots’ – third seed Auger-Aliassime stunned in New York

Auger-Aliassime’s US Open Run Ends in Mystery: Third Seed Falls to Unseeded Khachanov

Constantvpn.com – The New York tennis world was thrown into disarray on Thursday when the tournament’s third seed, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, was eliminated in the second round by unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov. The match, which ended 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-2 6-2 in Khachanov’s favor, marked the earliest departure of any top-10 player in the men’s singles draw this year and raised immediate questions about the physical condition of a player who had been performing at an elite level just weeks earlier.

Auger-Aliassime, 26, had reached the semi-finals of the US Open on two prior occasions and arrived in New York carrying momentum from quarter-final runs at both Wimbledon and the French Open earlier in the year. Yet the Canadian admitted that something went wrong almost immediately once the Khachanov contest began.

“After a set and a half, I just couldn’t feel well and was dizzy and seeing spots and couldn’t recover,” Auger-Aliassime told reporters following the match. “I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn’t.”

The player emphasized that the episode was unlike anything he had experienced in his professional career. He noted that muscle cramps and late-match fatigue are routine occurrences in long rallies and five-set battles, but this sensation was categorically different.

“I’ve never felt quite like that. I’ve had cramps before. I’ve felt tired towards the end of matches, but in a normal way. This was abnormal a little bit, and there were no signs in the last couple of days and no signs this morning, as well.”

A Pattern of Physical Trouble

The New York exit is the latest chapter in a troubling stretch for the Canadian. In August, Auger-Aliassime pulled out of the Rogers Cup in Montreal citing a back injury, a withdrawal that interrupted what had been a strong summer on hard courts. The absence of any warning symptoms before the Khachanov match, as he himself noted, makes the sudden onset particularly puzzling and likely to prompt further medical evaluation before he attempts another competitive appearance.

Khachanov, who had not reached a Grand Slam quarter-final before this tournament, handled the post-match interview with evident empathy toward his opponent.

“I am not sure but maybe he had some physical issues and that is part of our sport,” the Russian said. “I wish him to feel better and speedy recovery if he is injured.”

Heat and Humidity Compound the Toll

The conditions in New York on Thursday were far from ideal for players already managing fatigue. After several days of persistent rain that had disrupted scheduling and compressed rest periods, temperatures climbed to 30 degrees Celsius. The combination of elevated heat, residual humidity from the prior wet spell, and compressed match days created an environment in which even well-prepared athletes can experience acute physical distress.

That same environment took its toll on another seeded player the same day. Italy’s 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who had been building momentum through the early rounds, was dismantled by Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny in a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 rout. Musetti’s physical struggles were visible throughout the contest, and the wildcard’s aggressive baseline game exploited every moment of diminished intensity from the Italian.

Djokovic’s Shadow Looms Over the Draw

The wave of early exits among the top seeds was set in motion by the first-round departure of Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion and fourth seed, who had already left New York before the second round began. The Serbian’s own words about that match — that he “despised every moment I spent on the court for that” — framed a tournament in which the upper echelon of the men’s draw has been decimated at an unusual rate.

With Djokovic gone in round one, Auger-Aliassime now gone in round two, and Musetti eliminated alongside them, the remaining bracket has opened considerably. Players ranked outside the top 20 now have a realistic path to deep rounds, and the tournament’s competitive landscape has shifted dramatically within just two sessions of play.

What Comes Next for Auger-Aliassime

The Canadian’s immediate future is uncertain. A dizzy episode accompanied by visual disturbances during a high-intensity five-set match warrants careful medical assessment before any return to competition. Given his recent back trouble in Montreal and the fact that he reported no pre-match warning signs, the medical team will likely want to rule out cardiovascular or neurological causes before clearing him for further play.

For the US Open bracket, his departure reshuffles the path through his half of the draw and hands a significant opportunity to players who would ordinarily face him only in later rounds. The tournament, already destabilized by Djokovic’s first-round exit, now carries a distinctly unpredictable character as the second round concludes and the third round approaches under what promises to be continued warm New York weather.