‘He Told Me That I Needed To Improve the Work of My Legs’- Felix Auger-Aliassime Explains How Rafael Nadal’s Uncle Toni Nadal Made Him Better

Felix Auger-Aliassime is undoubtedly one of the most talented youngsters out there. But he has often failed to live up to his potential in the big stages, up until recently. He broke into the top 100 and then the top 25 at 18 years of age, and since then has played in 10 ATP finals. However, his first title finally came recently at the 2022 Rotterdam Open.

Auger-Aliassime also reached the semifinals at the 2021 US Open and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2022, where he played well, winning the first two sets, but eventually lost to Medvedev. He opened about how he’s changed his game to be better and have a better shot at becoming a top player. He explained how Toni Nadal has been helping him aim for his goals and dreams better and in a more streamlined fashion.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime says Toni Nadal is ‘important’ to him

From 2021, however, Toni Nadal has a new charge at hand. Felix Auger-Aliassime asked Toni Nadal to join his coaching team, alongside his coach Frederic Fontang. “He is a man who has been through everything in tennis and it is important to me that I have a certificate from him, in the style: ‘You are doing the right things. If you make progress in this and that, you could be a great player in the future ‘. He gave Fred and me more confidence,” Auger-Aliassime said.

The Canadian World No. 9 recently spoke about how Nadal had helped him with his style. He mentioned that Nadal’s experience made it easy for him to identify the areas in which Auger-Aliassme needed to improve. “He told me that I needed to improve the work of my legs and the construction of the points – I feel that I have done that in the last year and a few days, and that I can look to the top,” he said.

Toni Nadal does not travel with Auger-Aliassime’s team. Often, choosing to spend his time at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where he is a director. But he was there in the Canadian’s box, at the 2021 US Open, and this Auger-Aliassime was nice for him.

“It was important for me to have him at the slams, especially when I reached the semifinals of the US Open. For him, it is something normal, to be in such a late phase of the slam, so the whole team felt as if it was normal, that we belong there,” he added.

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It is therefore, clear that Toni Nadal is a valuable addition to Auger-Aliassime’s team, on his march to becoming a top player in the ATP circuit.