Felix Auger-Aliassime has hired Ivan Ljubicic as his new coach.
“Excited to start a new chapter with Ivan [Ljubicic]. Let’s get to work,” said Auger-Aliassime on Instagram, announcing his new coaching hire.
Ljubicic has worked with several top players over the years, none more notable than 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. The Croat guided Federer to his last three major titles: the 2017 Australian Open, 2017 Wimbledon Championships, and 2018 Australian Open.
Federer enjoyed success with Ljubicic and speaks highly of the former world number three. Earlier this year, Federer delivered his honest verdict on Ljubicic during an interview with ‘Elle‘.
Roger Federer is ‘sure’ he wouldn’t have achieved everything he did without Ivan Ljubicic
“Ivan Ljubicic taught me a lot and improved many aspects of my game. He is a great coach and a phenomenal man. I highly appreciate him and his entire family,” said Federer (translated from Croatian).
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“He had a great influence on my career, and I am sure that without him I would not have achieved everything I have.”
Roger Federer’s major final record with Ivan Ljubicic as coach (3-1)
| Slam final | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2017 Australian Open | Rafael Nadal | WIN | 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2017 Wimbledon | Marin Cilic | WIN | 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2018 Australian Open | Marin Cilic | WIN | 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 2019 Wimbledon | Novak Djokovic | LOSS | 6-7, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4, 12-13 |
Federer also gave a special mention to Ljubicic after they won their first Grand Slam together at the 2017 Australian Open, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. The Swiss icon said the following during his post-match press conference.
“It’s obviously special for the entire team. It was his first Grand Slam final as a player or as a coach. Obviously, he was nervous all day. I tried to calm him down!” said Federer.
“It’s beautiful for all of us. I know how happy they are because they are more than just a coach or a physio or whatever. They’re all my friends. So we spent a lot of time, you know, talking about whether I’m going to get back to 100%, and if I did, what would it require to win a Grand Slam. Now we made it. We’re going to be partying like rock stars tonight. I can tell you that.”
Federer clearly respected and appreciated Ljubicic as a coach, which will surely fill Auger-Aliassime with confidence. The Canadian star split from his long-term coach, Frederic Fontang, after Wimbledon and hasn’t been anywhere near his best since.
Felix Auger-Aliassime hasn’t reached a quarter-final since parting ways with Frederic Fontang
Auger-Aliassime lost to Novak Djokovic in a thrilling Wimbledon quarter-final and split from Fontang a few days later. Without a head coach, Auger-Aliassime has failed to reach another tour-level quarter-final and is 5-3 in his last eight matches.
Felix Auger-Aliassime’s record since Wimbledon (5-3)
- Cincinnati Open 2R [WIN] vs Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-3, 7-5
- Cincinnati Open 3R [WIN] vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo, 7-5, 6-1
- Cincinnati Open 4R [LOSS] vs Frances Tiafoe, 3-6, 4-6
- US Open 1R [WIN] vs Rinky Hijikata, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
- US Open 2R [LOSS] vs Karen Khachanov, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
- Davis Cup Q2 [WIN] vs Arthur Rinderknech, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
- Davis Cup Q2 [WIN] vs Quentin Halys, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
- China Open 1R [LOSS] vs Karen Khachanov, 3-6, 3-6
Earlier this week, Auger-Aliassime lost to Karen Khachanov in the first round of the China Open, suffering his second defeat to the Russian since Wimbledon.
“Beijing, you were nicer to me off the court than on the court. Let’s keep working to make Shanghai a good one,” said Auger-Aliassime on Instagram after the match.
He will play his first match under Ljubicic at the upcoming Shanghai Masters. Auger-Aliassime reached the quarter-finals in Shanghai 12 months ago, where he lost to Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets.
Perhaps with a Grand Slam-winning coach in his corner, the 26-year-old can go a step or two further in 2026. This year’s Shanghai Masters will commence on Saturday, October 10. Auger-Aliassime will be the fifth seed.
