For the first time since his 2021 US Open semifinal appearance, Felix Auger-Aliassime has returned four years later. After a four-hour match, Auger-Aliassime defeated No. 8 Alex De Minaur 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5, 7-6(4), returning to his second career Grand Slam semifinal.

After a top 10 debut in 2021 to No. 6, dropping all the way to No. 36 two years later in 2023, Auger-Aliassime will see himself back in the top 15.

En route to the final four, Auger-Aliassime started with a straight-sets win against Billy Harris and followed that performance with another straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin.

Against No. 3 Alexander Zverev, his most challenging test yet, after dropping the first set, Auger-Aliassime won the next three to advance to the round of 16. Having dropped just one set through his first three matches, No. 15 Andrey Rublev stood in the way, but another straight-sets win put Auger-Aliassime into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2022.

And after Wednesday’s win, Auger-Aliassime has dropped just two sets so far in the US Open and will now await his semifinal opponent, who will be guaranteed to be an Italian top-10 player.

No. 1 overall and reigning US Open champion Jannick Sinner will battle No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti for the final spot in the semifinals later this evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Auger-Aliassime has played both Sinner and Musetti once this season, both resulting in losses. In the Cincinnati Open, Sinner defeated Auger-Aliassime, 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Against Musetti, the Canadian is 3-3 all-time and most recently Musetti defeated Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 2-6, 3-6 in the round of 32 of the Miami Open.

But Auger-Aliassime does have a 2-1 winning record against Sinner, beating him at the Cincinnati Open in 2022 in three sets and against him in 2022 at the Madrid Open in straight sets.

Playing against Sinner poses the most formidable challenge any player can endure. Whether it is Sinner or Musetti, Auger-Aliassime isn’t afraid of the grand stage and seems to thrive in the late months of the year.