Canada's Auger-Aliassime pulls out of Dubai Championships with back injury

World number nine Felix Auger-Aliassime has withdrawn from this week's Dubai Tennis Championships with a back problem, the organizers of the ATP 500 tournament said on Monday.

World No. 9 from Montreal was seeded 3rd in ATP 500 tournament

The Canadian Press · Posted: Feb 21, 2022 10:05 AM EST | Last Updated: February 21, 2022

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime plays a shot against Russia' Andrey Rublev oduring the men's singles final at the Open 13 Provence tennis tournament in Marseille, France on Sunday. (Daniel Cole/The Associated Press)

Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime has withdrawn from from this week's Dubai Tennis Championships with a back injury.

Organizers of the ATP 500 tournament announced Auger-Aliassime's withdrawal on Twitter and said the 21-year-old from Montreal will be replaced in the draw by Australia's Alexei Popyrin.

Auger-Aliassime, ranked ninth in the world, was seeded third in Dubai.

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The Canadian is off to an excellent start this season that includes his first ever ATP Tour title earlier this month in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

He advanced to the final of last week's Open 13 Provence in Marseille, France, losing to Russian Andrey Rublev in Sunday's title match.

Auger-Aliassime also advanced to the quarter-finals of this year's Australian Open, where he pushed eventual finalist Daniil Medvedev to five sets. He also helped Canada win the ATP Cup in January, clinching the title with a win over Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the final.

WATCH l Auger-Aliassime falls to Rublev in Marseille: