I won't tell Felix Auger-Aliassime how to beat Rafael Nadal, but I also won't tell my nephew what he has to do to win: Uncle Toni
Toni Nadal finds himself in a rather difficult position, with nephew Rafael Nadal and protege Felix Auger-Aliassime set to face off in the round of 16 at the French Open.
In an interview with claytenis.com, Uncle Toni revealed that he had made his priorities clear when he left his nephew's camp to begin a stint with the World No. 9.
INTO THE FOURTH ROUND 💪
Solid performance against a player that has the weapon to bother him.
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Toni Nadal said he specified to the Canadian right at the start that he would not do anything to harm his nephew's chances even while being on Auger-Aliassime's team.
"I wouldn't say anything to him to win over my nephew. I'm not going to tell you if my nephew has this or that. Above all, I am Rafael's uncle, I have been with Rafael for many years, I work for Rafael at the academy. And even if he didn't work for Rafael, he is my nephew. I'm not going to tell the other how he has to beat him," Uncle Toni said.
The 61-year-old coach also revealed that Auger-Aliassime was aware that he would remain neutral and would not advise either player. He added that it wasn't necessary for him to give advice to his nephew as he had a coach before noting that it was an unusual situation to be in.
"Of course, of course. He accepted it. It is normal. Ethically, I wouldn't tell my nephew what he has to do to win either. And it is not necessary either, he has his coach. It is an unusual situation. Whoever wins will do well for me," Toni Nadal added.
"I understood that my contribution was not necessary" - Toni Nadal on parting ways with Rafael Nadal
Recounting what led to him parting ways with Rafael Nadal, whom he had mentored for decades, Toni Nadal said that beyond a certain point, he no longer felt his contribution was needed.
"I understood that my contribution was not necessary. When I understood that I left," Toni said.
Uncle Toni also recounted the time he spoke to a journalist in Budapest about the Rafa Nadal Academy and told him that he wouldn't travel with the Spaniard, signalling the end of their partnership.
"I was giving a coaching course in Budapest and a journalist asked me a question about the academy and I said that next year I would spend more time at the academy, because I was not going to travel with Rafael," Toni said. "I thought that it stayed there, but it came out everywhere, and my nephew was surprised."
Toni Nadal opined that he was more useful to the 21-time Grand Slam champion when he was in his formative years and decided to move on when he no longer felt valuable.
"Winning a Grand Slam doesn't motivate me so much as the feeling of feeling useful. In life one is motivated when one feels useful. I felt much more useful with Rafael when he was young than when he was already playing here," Uncle Toni concluded.
In addition to being part of Auger-Aliassime's team, Toni Nadal is also the head coach of the Rafa Nadal Academy.