"He's my uncle; I don't think he will want me to lose, but he's a professional" - Rafael Nadal on Uncle Toni coaching Felix Auger-Aliassime ahead of 4R clash at French Open
Ahead of his French Open fourth-round clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday, Rafael Nadal made an interesting observation about his Uncle Toni, who now coaches the Canadian.
In a press conference following his win over Botic van de Zandschulp, Nadal was asked if his uncle would have split loyalties during the Spaniard's fourth-round match with Auger-Aliassime.
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The 35-year-old said that from a personal perspective, Toni would not want his nephew to lose. However, considering the consummate professional that Toni is, he'll do everything possible to prepare Auger-Aliassime for the match.
"He's my uncle. I don't think he will be able to want me to lose, without a doubt, but he's a professional, and he's with another player. I don't know what's gonna happen, if he's gonna stay in the box or not, but I don't care. I have zero problem with that. So it's not a story at all for me. I know what's the feelings that we have between each other," he said.
Nadal added that he's unconcerned that his uncle will be in his opponent's corner on Sunday.
"I know he wants the best for me. Now he's helping another player. But honestly, for me, it's zero problem, and I know he wants the best for me."
"He's one of the players in better shape on the tour" - Rafael Nadal on Felix Auger-Aliassime
Rafael Nadal improved to 108-3 at Roland Garros following his third-round win over Zandschulp. However, he now faces the in-form Felix Aiuger-Aliassime for a place in the quarterfinals.
Nadal won the pair's only meeting in the Round of 32 at the 2019 Madrid Masters but anticipates a sterner test on Sunday.
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Ahead of his fourth-round clash against Auger-Aliassime, Nadal said that he would have to play at a "high level" to get the better of the Canadian.
"He's one of the players in better shape on the tour, without a doubt. He's the fourth in the race, that tops myself, and he's a top-10 player in the ranking. It's a round of 16. I know I have to play at a very high level to have chances to keep going. Gonna be good test. In some way, that's what I need."
If Nadal beats Auger-Aliassime, he could meet top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster quarterfinal.