For Rafael Nadal, household is all the things.
So when Nadal faces Felix Auger-Aliassime within the fourth spherical at Roland Garros on Sunday, he will not fear if his uncle, Toni Nadal, is sitting within the stands in his new function as Auger-Aliassime’s coach.
“I already talked with Toni after my match,” Nadal mentioned Friday, having crushed Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. “For me it is quite simple. He is my uncle. I do not suppose he’ll have the ability to need me to lose, certainly, however he is knowledgeable and he is with one other participant.”
That is the primary time Nadal has confronted Auger-Aliassime since his uncle started teaching the native of Canada.
“I do not know what is going on to occur, if he’ll keep within the field or not, however I do not care. I’ve zero downside with that. So it is not a narrative in any respect for me.
“I do know what the sentiments [are] that we’ve got between one another. I do know he desires the perfect for me. Now he is serving to one other participant. However truthfully, for me, it is zero downside, and I do know he desires the perfect for me.”
Toni Nadal has been instrumental in his nephew’s profession, alongside him for 14 of his document Grand Slam titles, together with 9 of his 13 French Open crowns. In 2016, Toni stepped away from the tour to work as the principle coach on the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. He was changed by Carlos Moya, the previous world No 1, who stays his coach.
Nadal mentioned his uncle didn’t must ask him whether or not he ought to coach Auger-Aliassime and that no matter occurs on Sunday, nothing will change between them.
“For me, I am unable to thank sufficient all of the issues that he did for me throughout so a few years,” he mentioned. “I haven’t got any downside with any place that he is making. I would like the perfect for him, and he desires the perfect for me.
“We’re household greater than the rest. Not solely household; we’re a household that we keep collectively on a regular basis. We’re in the identical village. We spend time within the academy collectively. We lived unbelievable feelings collectively.
“He isn’t solely an uncle. He is greater than that.”
