🎾 ATP Monte Carlo: Auger-Aliassime vs Altmaier

🎾 ATP Monte Carlo: Auger-Aliassime vs Altmaier – Match Preview

🧠 Form & Context

🟨 Felix Auger-Aliassime

• 🎢 Cooling off: After a hot start to 2025 with three finals and two titles, Felix has lost three of his last four matches—fatigue or confidence may be creeping in.
• 🌱 Clay comfort zone: Despite a tough 2024 overall, he posted 17 wins on clay, including a Madrid runner-up and Olympic semifinal showing.
• 📍 Monte Carlo curse: Just 2–5 all-time at this event, never past the second round in five attempts.
• 📉 Pressure match: Needs a win here to stop the skid and shake off past Monte Carlo woes.

🟥 Daniel Altmaier

• 🧗 Bounced back impressively: Ended a four-match skid with strong qualifying wins over Munar and Herbert to reach the main draw.
• 🔄 Red clay revival: Suits his grinding, high-tolerance game—well built for long rallies on slow courts.
• 🇲🇨 Second chance story: Lost as a lucky loser in Monte Carlo last year. This time enters on merit and with momentum.
• ✅ H2H edge: Defeated FAA in Auckland last season—albeit on hard courts—which could offer a small psychological boost.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This is a classic contrast of styles: Felix Auger-Aliassime brings the firepower, but also the fragility, especially in slower, windier conditions like Monte Carlo. His aggressive baseline game has often faltered at this venue due to mistimed attacks and frustration from long rallies.

Altmaier thrives in that very environment. He’ll look to absorb pace, extend points, and frustrate Felix into overpressing. The key for Altmaier will be keeping rallies deep and testing Felix's footwork and patience.

If Felix can strike clean early and keep the rallies short, he can avoid the clay grind that favors Altmaier. But if the match turns into a physical battle, the German has a legitimate upset shot.

🔮 Prediction

Pick: Upset Alert – Altmaier in 3 sets

Monte Carlo’s slow conditions and Felix’s recent dip make this a dangerous matchup. Altmaier’s clay instincts and renewed form could be just enough to catch the Canadian off balance.