Third Seed Felix Auger-Aliassime Falls to Unseeded Karen Khachanov at US Open After Sudden Health Concerns

Felix Auger-Aliassime, the third-seeded Canadian tennis player, experienced a surprising second-round exit at the US Open after falling to unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday.

The match marked a unexpected setback for Auger-Aliassime, who described feeling dizzy and experiencing visual disturbances early in the contest. “After a set and a half, I just couldn’t feel well and was dizzy and seeing spots and couldn’t recover,” he said. “I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn’t.”

Auger-Aliassime, 26, emphasized that the symptoms emerged abruptly, noting there were no prior indicators of illness in the days leading up to the match or in his morning preparations.

The Canadian’s defeat makes him the highest-ranked player eliminated from the men’s singles draw so far at this year’s tournament.

His exit follows the first-round loss of Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and fourth seed, who was defeated by 13th-ranked Marcos Gavallo. Auger-Aliassime’s unexpected loss adds to the growing list of top contenders exiting early in New York.

Despite reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year, Auger-Aliassime withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Montreal in August due to a back injury. His performance at the US Open was thus already under scrutiny before his sudden health issue.

Khachanov, for his part, acknowledged the possibility of Auger-Aliassime’s physical challenges. “I am not sure but maybe he had some physical issues and that is part of our sport,” he said during his on-court interview. “I wish him to feel better and a speedy recovery if he is injured.”

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