Was Murray Defeated By The New Superstar Of Tennis?
US Open
September 4, 2020
Andy Murray still feels incredibly positive about his Grand Slam future, despite crashing out to Felix Auger-Aliassime.
In fact Andy seems to agree with what we have been saying about him recently.
Next summer’s Championships at Wimbledon are where he could really shine!
We asked an interesting question: if Murray can win a five-set thriller at the US Open, what could he achieve at Wimbledon 2021?
Murray seems to feel the same way about Wimbledon 2021.
Sure, he was soundly defeated by Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 at Flushing Meadows.
But once his body builds up enough resilience to the after-effects of gruelling matches again, Andy feels the sky is the limit.
‘I might as well shoot for the stars,’ Murray explained.
‘I would say even after tonight I’m more positive about what I could do in Grand Slams than I was before I came over here.
‘I need to build up my body and my physical conditioning so that I have the ability to back up five-set matches.’
And Murray definitely has the incentive now. He loved the taste of big-time competition again – even if there was no crowd.
He’ll do all the hard work needed go deep at Wimbledon 2021. He’ll want to feel the magic of Centre Court and the love of an adoring crowd.
And won’t we all be thrilled to see what his US Open conqueror can do on grass next year as well?
Felix Auger-Aliassime isn’t exactly a new name. He has featured prominently on the NextGen scene for the last couple of years.
But the Canadian has never looked as devastating as this.
He fired down 24 aces against Murray and never faced a break point.
Felix hit 52 winners. His forehand is so naturally powerful it is fast becoming a fearsome weapon.
Could Auger-Aliassime win the US Open?
It’s possible. Novak Djokovic will have something to say about that.
So will Domonic Thiem, who won in straight sets on Thursday.
But Auger-Aliassime is definitely the new superstar of tennis. He is still only 20 – seven years younger than Thiem.
He is also younger than Stefanos Tsitspias, Alexander Zverev or Daniil Medvedev.
But the tennis world is already talking about Felix as a future world number one.
Will Auger-Aliassime win Wimbledon one day? It looks highly likely.
Maybe not Wimbledon 2021. But one day soon the Canadians will be celebrating the big one.
Their North American neighbours could be celebrating a home victory at the US Open in the women’s tournament this very year!
Sofia Kenin is still on course to back up her Australian Open triumph.
Serena Williams plays her compatriot and fellow US Open champion Sloane Stephens next.
Sadly Britain’s Jo Konta is no longer in the mix. She lost to Sorana Cirstea despite being a set and a break ahead.
We have already examined some of psychological hurdles Konta must overcome to reach the next level.
Cirstea showed more fight and match-craft under pressure to prevail 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Jo still has time address the areas where she is falling short. They mostly concern harnessing the confidence and ruthlessness required to close out winning positions.
Above all she needs to stay composed when these opportunities arise and improve her shot selection.
Then Konta can have a great Wimbledon 2021 when the time comes. We hope she does!
Jo at her best remains an inspirational sight and everyone is right behind her.
For Felix Auger-Aliassime, this is already a great US Open 2020.
And his next oppoment could be Britain’s Dan Evans, whose match against Corentin Moutet was in the balance when suspended due to rain.
How will Auger-Aliassime react now that everyone is hailing him as the new superstar?
It’ll be fascinating to see how he copes with a whole new level of scrutiny.