ATP Tour

Ball kid to the rescue! Auger-Aliassime gets a helping hand in Shanghai

A ball kid enjoyed his moment in the sun on Monday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he came to the aid of Felix Auger-Aliassime in the closing stages of the Canadian’s clash against Jesper de Jong.

Serving at 6-4, 4-5, 15/30, the No. 13 player in the PIF ATP Rankings put on his running shoes to track down a drop shot from the Dutchman but was unable to make up the ground. After lunging forward to get a racquet on the ball, Auger-Aliassime took a slight tumble and found himself sitting on the hard courts at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Just as he was preparing to return to his feet, a ball kid made his way onto court and offered his hands to the 25-year-old, who was successfully pulled to his feet, with the ball kid receiving loud cheers from the crowd.

Auger-Aliassime went on to seal a 6-4, 7-5 win and will next play Lorenzo Musetti or Luciano Darderi. Auger-Aliassime is 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is aiming to make his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 9-16 November. He holds a 36-19 record on the season, according to Infosys ATP Stats and married long-term partner Nina last month.