The Canadian is adding Rafael Nadal’s first coach to his team of coaches.
Toni Nadal who was Rafael Nadal first coach and uncle is now part of team Auger Aliassime. Nadal who is 60 years old hasn’t coached his nephew since 2017 and took time away to focus on the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca.
He will be making his debut at the Rolex Masters in Monte Carlo which begins next week and Auger Aliassime confirmed the addition on a zoom call yesterday.
“I will be working with Toni starting from this tournament,” He went on to add “I sat down with Fred and my team and parents and I thought to myself it would be good to go to someone who has been at the highest level of our sport, who has been to where I want to go”.
The Montreal native has been working with Frederic Fontang for the last couple seasons as his main coach and he just felt adding that experience would give him a leg up.
“Really it’s gaining advice and experience and just working on a day to day to become a better player. I know there’s no secret tool or recipe or that you just click your fingers and things work out.”
Auger Aliassime has spent time in the past during the off season training at Nadal’s academy in Spain and Toni was first approached back in December about the opportunity.
“Our values and work ethic really aligns so for me that’s a great thing personally and I’m glad he’s part of my project and hopefully we can do great things in the future,”
Nadal at the time thought the only player he would ever coach was his nephew and when he stepped down he didn’t think he would come back in a coaching capacity.
“I never considered before to work for someone else,” He would go on to add “For me, it’s a wonderful thing to work with a guy like Felix, first a very educated player, a player that can become one of the best players in the world and become a champion in big tournaments”.
Nadal had certain criteria on his list if he was ever going to come back and coach again and for him Auger Aliassime was he everything on that list.
“I could not work with someone unless they are respectful, and have good values because I had the luck to work all my life with a kid that was very respectful and gave a very good image wherever he went”.
He continued to say “Now I have the possibility to work with a guy who believes in the same, to improve, work hard every day.”
He did however confirm that if his nephew and Felix were to meet in a match that he would not be in either box.
“If (Rafa) has to lose to someone then I would rather him lose to Felix, I’m still his uncle and have many years of involvement with him“,
Nadal does believe Auger Aliassime has what it takes to be a world number one someday.
“I hope Felix will be number one in the future. For now, he needs to keep improving and I keep being Rafa’s uncle.”
The Canadian is coming off a early round exit at the Miami Open to American John Isner and will look to start his clay court season on the right foot starting next week in Monte Carlo.
