TURIN | From now on, every time Félix Auger-Aliassime performs at a Grand Slam tournament, the Quebecer must aim for the title. nothing else.
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These confident and accepted words come from Toni Nadal, advisor to the Quebecer for almost two years, but also uncle and former coach of a certain Rafael, holder of 22 major trophies.
The masters, Mr. Nadal knows that very well. It was he who helped “Rafa” win 16 of his Grand Slam titles.
It can still improve
Visibly proud of his protégé’s recent series of successes, “Uncle Toni” nevertheless assures that Felix can still perfect his game and continue to climb the ladder of men’s tennis.
“Felix is a player with great potential. I believe that of all the current players, he is the one who still has the most room for improvement,” stressed Mr. Nadal in a generous interview he gave to the Journal in French on Monday in a corridor of the Pala Alpitour in Turin.
“The truth is that few players can win three tournaments in a row. [comme l’a fait Auger-Aliassime à Florence, Anvers et Bâle], added the tennis man. He also played very well in Paris. That means we’re in front of a player who can aim for anything.
But be careful, warns the 61-year-old Spaniard: The top 10 in the world is currently full of talent and the challenge will be great.
And Mr. Nadal is not just talking about his nephew or Novak Djokovic. There is this new generation that has established itself at the top: Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev… and also Felix, who is now very close to the top 5, in sixth place.
“If I think his potential is so high, it’s because he has an incredible physique, he’s mentally strong and he’s a calm player,” explained Mr Nadal.
The first place, the goal has always been
The 22-year-old recently claimed that he aspires to rise to the top of the world. Well, that was always the Quebecer’s goal, but his results for the month of October confirmed that his goal was achievable.
“Without skipping steps, without putting too much pressure on myself, I think I have what it takes to eventually become world No. 1 in my career,” said the FAA (or “Oxford,” his new nickname) last week.
your first conversation
These aspirations were one of the first conversations Toni Nadal and Félix Auger-Aliassime had when they began dating in April 2021.
“When I first met him, I asked him what he wanted to achieve in his career. He said to me, “I want to be first.” I replied, “Phew, that’s not easy! I think you have to learn a lot of things.”
“At the time there were things he didn’t do well. But now, among the players who can be first, I believe there are [Carlos] Alcaraz, Zverev and him. We’ll see after that. We never know. But he has to think about the Grand Slams, on the front row. To very high things. Not just in the top 10. Because he’s there.
Obviously, this path is broken with the greatest honors by defeats, added ‘Uncle Nadal’. A normal process that he considers normal.
“But if he plays well, he can win anywhere,” he said.
TURIN | At Roland-Garros, this was one of the hot topics in the spring ahead of that round of 16 match that would see Félix Auger-Aliassime take on Rafael Nadal. Where would Toni Nadal, Félix’s agent but also “Rafa’s” uncle, sit in the stands of the Philippe Chatrier stadium?
Mr Nadal had finally opted for a seat on neutral ground. But here in Turin there will be no debate. “Uncle Toni” will be in the Quebecer’s “box” for the confrontation against his nephew, scheduled for around 8 a.m. Quebec time on Tuesday.
“It’s different for me this time,” he explained. At Roland-Garros, Félix played against my nephew for the first time. It was also Roland Garros [là où Nadal a triomphé 14 fois]. I thought it might be the last time Rafa plays in this tournament.
Ultimately, it was the Spaniard who prevailed in this round of 16 match after a five-set duel, an extremely rare occurrence in the career of the ‘Ogre of Ocher’.
Before Félix, only two other players had managed to get Nadal to play an ultimate set in his sandbox: Novak Djokovic and, surprisingly, John Isner, who, however, is not known for his qualities on ocher.
“Here, if Felix wins, it’s not bad for me. And if Rafa wins, it’s not bad for me either. But it’s not like Paris.”
Don’t worry about his “Rafa”
Félix meets the tournament favorites on Tuesday. But a hard fought favorite. After a long break following his resignation just before the Wimbledon semifinals, Nadal barely played. Four of his last seven games have ended in defeat.
So also on Sunday, against Taylor Fritz. In this ATP final, the powerful American defeated him in two sets 7: 6 (1) and 6: 3 from the start.
But ‘Tonton Nadal’ said he wasn’t worried about his nephew. This type of tournament doesn’t suit ‘Rafa’ very well, he stressed.
“No, it’s not a concern. Normally, in a tournament such as the Grand Slam, the first matches were used for preparation, explained Mr. Nadal. He starts with less difficult games and if he makes it to week two we can think of a win.
“Here, like at the Paris Masters, you initially meet very good players. Already you don’t have much rhythm, you’re about to play against a top 10!
Tony’s fist
Auger-Aliassime’s entourage – and his coach Frédéric Fontang in particular – isn’t the most expressive during matches.
But on Sunday, when the Quebecer scored a 40-40 on Casper Ruud’s serve in the second set, we saw Toni Nadal swing his fist.
“I’m never a very quiet person! When I’m in the box, I like to get involved, he stressed. I’m not Félix’s main coach, but I like to talk a lot. Because I know we have to convey our emotions to the players.
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