Preview: French Open: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Alejandro Tabilo - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Battle-hardened Felix Auger-Aliassime enters his fourth-round match with Alejandro Tabilo on Monday, aware of the pressure he is under at the ongoing French Open.

With Jannik Sinner eliminated, the Canadian is the highest-ranked player in the top half of the draw, but he aims to keep that excitement in check ahead of facing his left-handed last-16 opponent.

Match preview

Sinner was the favourite to claim a Career Grand Slam before Roland Garros started, but the Italian's shock elimination on Thursday has opened the door to everyone on the top half of the draw.

Auger-Aliassime leads the contingent of hopefuls on that side, even if his history on the Paris dirt leaves much to be desired.

The nine-time ATP champion has the unique statistic of exiting in the first or fourth round of the Grand Slam, with last-16 exits in 2022 and 2024 marking the Canadian's finest performance in the French capital to date.

Having reached the quarter-finals in Australia (2022), Wimbledon (2021) and the US Open (2021 and 2025), twice making the last four in New York, a last-eight run at Roland Garros has hitherto proved elusive.

Seemingly on a mission now, the 25-year-old has needed comeback wins in every round against Daniel Altmaier, Roman Andres Burruchaga and Brandon Nakashima, the latter of which featured a stunning 15 aces against the American player on Saturday for a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) success in three hours and 48 minutes.

Bidding to break new ground in Paris, Auger-Aliassime now seeks one more win at least to improve his overall 9-6 French Open record and advance to the quarter-finals for the first time.

Standing in his way is Tabilo, who took out home hope Moise Kouame on Suzanne-Lenglen after a four-set battle that lasted three hours and 40 minutes.

Tabilo, undeniably the fresher player after a second-round walkover, needed to fight back from losing the opening set to take tight sets two, three and four en route to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(9) success over the teenage sensation.

The upshot of Saturday's win means that the Chilean left-hander has now made it to the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, having previously never gone past a third match in a Major, with his 2024 run at Wimbledon a previous high.

However, Tabilo has now secured commendable victories in Paris to make it to a fourth-round match for the first time, improving to 4-2 at the event, where he has previously exited in round one (2024) and the second round (2025).

Effectively playing with house money now, the three-time titleholder now seeks to add to his four Roland Garros by making even more personal history at his Canadian opponent's expense.

Tournament so far

Felix Auger-Aliassime:

First round: vs. Daniel Altmaier 4-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-6(7)

Second round: vs. Roman Andres Burruchaga 4-6 6-0 7-5 6-1

Third round: vs. Brandon Nakashima 5-7 6-1 7-6(4) 7-6(1)

Alejandro Tabilo:

First round: vs. Kamil Majchrzak 6-1 6-3 6-4

Second round: vs. Valentin Vacherot (walkover)

Third round: vs. Moise Kouame 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(9)

Head To Head

Shanghai Masters (2025) - Round of 64: Auger-Aliassime 6-3 6-3

Auger-Aliassime holds a 1-0 record over Tabilo on the ATP Tour, ahead of their second meeting.

The players' only meeting happened in last year's Shanghai Masters, where the hard-hitting Canadian star claimed a straight-sets win in one hour and 25 minutes.

FAA saved a staggering seven break points in the encounter, and being that stingy on serve may play a crucial role in avoiding defeat against the left-hander, who has claimed 10 breaks combined against Kamil Majchrzak and Kouame before Monday's tussle.

We say: Auger-Aliassime to win in four sets

Auger-Aliassime should ultimately have too much firepower and composure for Tabilo, with the Canadian’s superior serving under pressure likely to prove decisive over the stretch.

Even if the Chilean southpaw carves out chances on return, FAA’s big-point resilience suggests a four-set victory that finally propels him into uncharted Roland Garros territory.