Felix Auger-Aliassime has withdrawn from Canada’s upcoming Davis Cup tie due to fatigue after competing in the U.S. Open, Tennis Canada announced on Saturday.
The World Group I tie between Canada and Israel is set to take place Sept. 12-13 in Halifax.
The tie will determine which of the two nations will advance to compete in next year’s Davis Cup Qualifiers.
Canada was relegated to World Group I after a 3-2 loss to Hungary in February’s first-round qualifier in Montreal.
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Auger-Aliassime is coming off a quality run through the U.S. Open, where he made it to the semifinals on Friday as the 25th seed.
The Montreal native was ousted by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy in four sets.
It was Auger-Aliassime’s second semifinal appearance at a Grand Slam and first since the U.S. Open in 2021.
The 25-year-old defeated third-seeded Alexander Zverev, No. 15 seed Andrey Rublev and eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur before seeing Sinner in the semifinals.
The Davis Cup event in Halifax has already been the focus of some controversy, with hundreds of people, including at least one former Olympian, signing a letter calling on Tennis Canada to cancel the event amid increasing global condemnation of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.
Tennis Canada said in a statement that it “acknowledges the ongoing and deeply complex situation in the Middle East” but that the Davis Cup tie will go ahead, adding that “its role is to promote the sport and provide opportunities for players and fans while ensuring the Halifax tie is contested in a safe and professional environment.”
— with files from Global News.
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