Felix Auger-Aliassime’s Australian Open campaign came to a painful and premature end on Monday as the Canadian was forced to retire from his first-round match due to cramp.

The seventh seed, who reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne in 2022, made a strong start by taking the opening set 6-3 against Portugal’s Nuno Borges. However, momentum shifted as Auger-Aliassime dropped the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 before being unable to continue.

Although the nature of the problem was initially unclear, the 25-year-old was visibly struggling with his left leg and walked gingerly to the net to shake hands with his opponent. He later confirmed that severe cramping had caused his withdrawal, explaining that the issue began early in the third set.

“I can’t recall cramping ever in my life this early in a tournament, this early in a match,” Auger-Aliassime said. While temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius may have been a factor, he admitted the situation left him no choice but to stop.

“I don’t like to be on the court that way. I want to be on the court winning,” he added. “I want to be competing with my opponent, not just standing there like a punching bag.”

Borges, ranked 46th in the world, expressed sympathy for his opponent while acknowledging the significance of the victory.

“It is part of tennis. It’s a long schedule and physically it’s demanding, so I can understand,” he said in his on-court interview. “I hope he gets better quickly and comes back at his best level.

“It’s a great win for me either way. I’m really happy to push through and get another opportunity on Wednesday.”

Borges will next face either Australian wildcard Jordan Thompson or Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in the second round.