Carlos Alcaraz’s biggest fans had gathered to see the new best player in the world on his return to Spain.
Instead, they watched as Felix Auger-Aliassime beat his new idol before staying on the hard court to claim a second doubles victory and help Canada to a 2-1 victory over Spain in the Davis Cup group stage on Friday.
Alcaraz lost 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 to a superb Auger-Aliassime, who held off the partisan crowd and tipped the match in Valencia her way after the 19-year-old Spaniard he dug deep to get the first one. -seven tie breakers
“Felix is a beast. Physically and mentally, Felix is one of the best in the world,” Alcaraz said after his first match since winning the US Open last weekend to become the man youngest to climb to the top of the ATP ranking.
“I didn’t come in very good physical condition,” he added. “It was a very tough day but I have to congratulate him because he played an amazing game.”
LOOK | Auger-Aliassime annoys Alcaraz in Spain:
Auger-Aliassime topples new world No. 1 Alcaraz to level tie in Davis Cup final
Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime defeated new world number one Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 to tie Canada’s Davis Cup final Group B at one rubber each against host Spain in Valencia.
As the home crowd roared for Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime calmly responded by surgically placing shot after shot exactly where he wanted it. He dominated his serve with 16 aces and finally broke Alcaraz late in the second set and twice in the third.
“He’s No. 1 in the world and a lot of credit for that, but today I think I was a little better in the third set,” said 13th-ranked Auger-Aliassime. “I wasn’t going to let my team down with my fighting spirit.”
LOOK | Canada upsets Spain to decide Davis Cup rubber doubles final:
Canada’s Auger-Aliassime and Pospisil upset Spain to decide rubber doubles in Davis Cup final
Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Vasek Pospisil rallied to defeat Spain’s Marcel Granollers-Pujol and Pedro Martínez Portero in the doubles decider to earn a 2-1 Davis Cup Group B tie in Valencia, Spain
Roberto Bautista gave Spain the first point after fighting back to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Vasek Pospisil.
With no time to recover, Auger-Aliassime and Pospisil showed no signs of weariness as they came from behind to beat Marcel Granollers and Pedro Martínez 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the decider.
Canada plays Serbia on Saturday, while Spain face South Korea on Sunday to determine which two advance to the quarter-finals in November in the southern Spanish city of Malaga.
Spain beat Serbia 3-0 on Wednesday as Alcaraz rested after flying home from New York, where he won his first Grand Slam singles title on Sunday after a grueling run that included three consecutive five-set victories .
Before the Davis Cup tie, Alcaraz was busy signing autographs and posing for photos after practice. He received the biggest applause when the Spanish national team was introduced and was introduced as the “new number 1 in the world”.
After the game, he focused not on the loss, but on the joy he received from returning home.
“I wanted to go back to Spain, I want to share this moment to be No. 1 and to be US Open champion with all my people,” Alcaraz said.
After Spanish fans had to stay up practically all night to watch his matches at the US Open due to the time difference, this was the first chance many of his fans had to see him play at home since May, when he won the Madrid Open. Alcaraz beat Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev in the capital in what many saw as Nadal passing the torch to his Spanish successor.
WATCH | Baptista Agut drops Pospisil:
Vancouver’s Pospisil leaves the opening rubber of the Davis Cup final against Spain’s Bautista Agut
Roberto Bautista Agut rallied to defeat Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to give the hosts the first match of the Davis Cup Group B final in Valencia, Spain.
In the pavilion, red and yellow flags were draped over the railings, including one with the name of Alcaraz’s home region, Murcia, painted in large black letters. Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast, is about 2 1/2 hours north of Alcaraz’s hometown of El Palmar, population 24,000.
Alcaraz only had one previous meeting with Auger-Aliassime, in the quarter-finals of the 2021 US Open, when the Spaniard had to withdraw due to injury.
While Alcaraz arrived from an exhausting two weeks in the United States, Auger-Aliassime played in singles and doubles on Tuesday to help Canada beat South Korea in their Davis Cup opener.
Unable to touch Auger-Aliassime’s serve, Alcaraz drew more applause from the stands, which included her parents. He pumped his fist at captain Sergi Bruguera and personal trainer Juan Carlos Ferrero after the hard-earned points.
That was enough for Alcaraz to clinch the first-set tiebreaker after Auger-Aliassime’s untimely errors.
But Auger-Aliassime never lost the initiative. Canada captain Frank Dancevic jumped from his courtside seat to cheer when Auger-Aliassime finally broke Alcaraz late in the second set. The Canadian poured it.
Also on Friday, the Netherlands advanced after beating Andy Murray’s Great Britain 2-1 in Glasgow. The result also meant the United States advanced from Group D.
Germany and Australia advanced from Group C after the Germans beat Belgium 2-1, while Italy defeated Argentina 2-1 in Bologna in Group A.