"He didn't give me a secret that nobody knows" - Felix Auger-Aliassime on whether Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal gave him special tips to earn his first win over the Spaniard
In the ATP Finals in Turin, Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 56 minutes to secure himself an opportunity to advance to the last four.
Auger-Aliassime put on a flawless performance to earn his first-ever victory over the Spaniard in a match that saw him deliver 15 aces. The Canadian, who is currently coached by Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle and longtime mentor, will take on Taylor Fritz in his final group match.
In a post-match press conference, Felix Auger-Aliassime was asked if he received any specific advice on how to defeat his nephew. The Canadian retorted that although they had talked about the match, Toni Nadal had not given him any special tips or "a secret that nobody knows."
"We talk about the things I need to do for myself, at the end of the day he doesn't give me [tips]- him or Fred [Frederic Fontang]. I know Rafa. I've seen him play. I've watched him play. I've played him before. If I play him or play Djokovic or even players that I've known for a long time, Fred, my coach, gives me the stats of previous matches, what has been working, what hasn't been working, so I can have a little bit of a clear idea," Felix Auger-Aliassime said.
"Outside of that he [Toni Nadal] didn't give me a secret that nobody knows (smiling). That's it, so, nothing really special. More just for me to try to give my best effort, to feel like I did everything I could when I step out of the court, win or lose. That's the most important for him and for us on the team," the Canadian continued.
"I definitely believed that I could win" - Felix Auger-Aliassime
Reflecting on his victory against Rafael Nadal, Auger-Aliassime said that although he initially felt "uncertain" going against the Spaniard, he soon began to believe that he could win as the match went on.
"When you're about to step on the court against a guy like him, you never know. You think, What if he plays amazing today, just too good for me, or I'm not playing my best, things aren't working for me. There's always an uncertainty," Auger-Aliassime stated.
"But when the match started going, we were on serve in the first set, I was like, Look, I have a real chance of winning this. I felt like I was doing good things, I was comfortable in certain situations. I definitely believed that I could win," the World No.6 added further.