Madrid (AFP)
Toni Nadal, the uncle and historic former coach of Rafael Nadal, will work with the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, 22nd in the ATP ranking and great hope of world tennis aged 20, he told the daily Marca Thursday.
"When the offer reached me from him, I told him to come to the Academy (the Rafa Nadal Academy founded by the player on his island of Mallorca, note) for ten days so that he can see if it is what I can offer him may or may not suit him. I was not considering the possibility of coaching another player, "said Toni Nadal.
"Knowing that, as the director of the Academy, I can collaborate with a player who has great aspirations, it is a challenge which, personally, satisfies me particularly," he continued.
Aged 60, Rafael Nadal's uncle retired from the circuit in 2017. He will work from the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 which begins on Sunday with Auger-Aliassime and his French trainer Frédéric Fontang.
Nadal was the most successful coach in Grand Slam thanks to the sixteen major tournaments, including 10 Roland-Garros, won by his nephew until the end of their collaboration at the end of the 2017 season.
"If we have to play against Rafa, I would not sit on either of the two benches, out of respect for both players and because I am still the director of the Academy, I continue to work for him and I am his uncle, "Toni Nadal warned.
"But if he has to lose to someone, I sure hope it will be against Felix. I will never stop being Rafael's uncle, we have been linked for many years. I hope in the future, it will be Felix who will be the world No.1. For the moment, he must progress ", he noted.
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