Felix Auger-Aliassime is grabbing all the headlines in the tennis world for a peculiar reason. The Canadian tennis player just reached the finals of the Madrid Open 2024, but got 3 walkovers in the process. A French publication dug deep and found out that the last time such a scenario occurred was with Novak Djokovic at the 2016 US Open. However, they missed out on another player, making a crucial error, for which an X user slammed them.
French publication ‘Jeu, Set et Maths’ wrote a post on X, detailing the two times in the last 34 years, when a player reached the final of a tournament after getting 3 walkovers.
“They reached the final of a tournament while benefiting from an abandonment or withdrawal from their opponent 3 times (1990-2024):
Novak Djokovic (US Open 2016)
1/32 : W/O de Vesely
1/16 : ab. de Youzhny
1/4 : ab. de TsongaAuger Aliassime (Madrid 2024)
1/16 : ab. de Mensik
1/4 : W/O de Sinner
1/2 : ab. de LeheckaIls ont atteint la finale d’un tournoi en bénéficiant à 3 reprises d’un abandon ou forfait de leur adversaire (1990-2024) :
▪️ Novak Djokovic (US Open 2016)
↪️ 1/32 : W/O de Vesely
↪️ 1/16 : ab. de Youzhny
↪️ 1/4 : ab. de Tsonga▪️ Auger Aliassime (Madrid 2024)
↪️ 1/16 : ab.… https://t.co/yBg5b4PMvF pic.twitter.com/taMz7hwWjm
Now, another player who also got 3 walkovers en route to the final of a tournament, is Elena Rybakina. At the 2023 Italian Open, 3 of Rybakina’s opponents withdrew from mid-match, including in the finals. As Jeu, Set et Maths missed out on her name, it was only a matter of time before another X user pointed it out and lambasted the French publication for the same.
“Rybakina, Rome 2023
Djokovic, US Open 2016You guys are supposed to be tennis journalists…” wrote an X user Leo.
This may have been an innocent mistake from the publication. However, missing out on a female tennis player’s name while doing research for men’s tennis, was bound to raise eyeballs.
Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina’s Unique Campaigns
In 2016, Novak Djokovic was coming off the back of winning the Australian Open and the French Open. He was in terrific form when he entered the US Open that year. Djokovic won 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round against Jerzy Janowicz. But in the next two rounds, he barely got to play a single set.
His match against Jiri Vesely was incomplete, as the Czech player withdrew due to injury. After Djokovic got a walkover, he faced Mikhail Youzhny in the 3rd round, who also retired hurt when the score was 4-2 in favor of Djokovic in the first set.
Having barely played a set, Djokovic blew Kyle Edmund away with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 scoreline in the fourth round. In the quarter-final, Novak Djokovic got another walkover against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after the Serb was leading 6-3, 6-2.
After getting his 3rd walkover, Djokovic won his semi-final match against Gael Monfils by 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. In the final though, Stan Wawrinka beat him 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 5-7, 3-6.
Similar to Djokovic, Elena Rybakina also got 3 walkovers in the 2023 Italian Open, but unlike the men’s World No.1 player, she won the competition. Rybakina won against Jasmine Paolini 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 to start the competition. In the next round itself, Anna Kalinskaya retired hurt and Rybakina got a walkover.
The Kazakhstan player was back in action against Marketa Vondrousova, winning it 6-3, 6-3 and reached the quarter-final. In there, a close game was brewing against World No.1 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek won the first set 6-2, and Rybakina the next by 7-6 (7-3).
The 3rd set was evenly poised at 2-2, when Swiatek retired hurt. Rybakina, thus, got her 2nd walkover of that tournament.
Rybakina comfortably beat Jelena Ostapenko by 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-final, and set up the final against Anhelina Kalinina. In the most anti-climactic final of all, Kalinina too withdrew after losing the first set 4-6. Rybakina won the 2023 Italian Open with her 3rd walkover.
