What happened to Felix Auger-Aliassime in Rotterdam? Everything about Canadian's "painful" mid-match retirement days after winning a title

Felix Auger-Aliassime’s 2025 Rotterdam campaign reached an abrupt end as he unexpectedly retired during his opening round match. Following the exit, the Canadian explained the reason for his withdrawal.

Auger-Aliassime, the 2022 Rotterdam champion, was chasing his eighth career title and third of the season at the ongoing tournament, after Adelaide and last week's Montpellier. He faced Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori in the first round on Wednesday, February 5.

Vavassori posed a commendable challenge, going neck and neck in the first set before being edged out by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the tiebreak 7-6(3). The Italian continued his fierce form in the second set, breaking the latter in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead.

Auger-Aliassime called for a medical time-out to assess a right toenail injury before Andrea Vavassori served for the set at 5-4. After failing to keep himself alive in the second set, he promptly retired from the match.

Speaking to the media after his exit, the former World No. 6 said:

"There was a problem in the nail in my big toe – ingrown nail. It’s very painful but at least it is quick to resolve."

The player explained that he underwent a procedure for a similar problem a year and a half ago.

"A year and a half ago I had the problem and we did the same procedure that I’m going to do this week. I thought that it was behind me but it appeared yesterday at the practice when I came from Montpellier and it started hurting and today it was worse."

"At least I’m familiar with this. I knew where it was going so it was safer and easier for me to stop now," he added.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime on his Rotterdam retirement: "Would've been nice if I'd won the second set"

Felix Auger-Aliassime pictured at the 2025 ABN AMRO Open - Image Source: Getty

Responding to a question posed by Sportskeeda during the aforementioned media interaction, Felix Auger-Aliassime said he called for the medical timeout in hopes of a temporary recovery to wrap up the match in straight sets.

"Well, I was trying to see if I can win the second set, somehow," he said. "But I knew that to play a full third set would be hard in these conditions. I was up a set, so it would’ve been nice for me if I’d won the second set but it was tough to keep going."

Auger-Aliassime assured that his injury would heal within days, way before he resumes his campaign in Doha (February 17-22).

"(The recovery time) is quick. After I do the procedure, within days I’ll be back," he told the media in Rotterdam. "This is just a little hiccup. But we’re going in a good direction. I’m really happy with how things are going."

Following Felix Auger-Aliassime’s retirement, Andrea Vavassori locks horns with top seed Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday, February 6.