In order to potentially set up a highly-anticipated French Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal will have to get through another blockbuster matchup in the fourth round.
Unlike a Nadal-Djokovic showdown, Nadal vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime isn’t one all-time great vs. another. It isn’t a tale of two top title contenders. Nadal, of course, is the only one of the two who fits those criteria. But this will be must-see television in part because the Spaniard and Canadian do have one thing in common: Toni Nadal in their corner.
Toni, of course, is Nadal’s uncle. He also helps coach Auger-Aliassime.
Conflicting allegiances for Toni will be the big story–even though he says he will not attend the match–when Nadal and Auger-Aliassime go head-to-head in the fourth round at Roland Garros on Sunday. The Uncle Toni Bowl became a certainty when Nadal and Auger-Aliassime rolled to third-round wins on Friday afternoon without dropping a set. The 35-year-old erased Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, while the 21-year-old beat Filip Krajinovic 7-6(3), 7-6(2), 7-5.
“I don’t think he will be able to want me to lose, without a doubt,” Nadal said of Toni. “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 the feelings that we have between each other. I know he wants the best for me. Now he’s helping another player. But honestly, for me it’s zero problem.
“We are family more than anything else. Not only family; we are a family that [stays] together all the time. We are in the same village. We spend time in the academy together…. So he’s not only an uncle. He’s more than that.”
Toni won’t be anything more than an innocent bystander for Sunday’s tilt. He said before the tournament started that he would not attend a Nadal vs. Auger-Aliassime match, and Auger-Aliassime insisted that he will not get any inside information. After all, there may not be any to give!
“I don’t know if I need insight on how Rafa plays, to be honest,” the world No. 9 commented. “I think we all know what he does well. I don’t think Toni will tell me anything new about how Rafa plays…. If there were secrets to [beating] Rafa, he wouldn’t have won (the French Open) 13 times.
“But we had the discussion. It was black and white from the first time we started working together we knew it was a possibility that eventually I would play Rafa when I’m working with Toni. And actually now [it’s here]. I think Toni will watch from a neutral place and enjoy the match.”
Toni can enjoy it knowing that he will have a player in the French Open quarterfinals–likely against Djokovic.
The question is: which one?
Great write up, and I loved Rafa’s quote, ” He’s not just a Coach….he’s family”.
To me this is very awkward! Far less for uncle Toni! He should have waited until Rafa retired to coach someone else! To me II remember him saying that he would focus on the academy and his family instead of all this travelling and now he is coaching Felix! What’s really going on?
`Toni spent a few years coaching at the academy and especially with his teenage sons. Now the sons have grown up. Toni likes Felix and likes working with young players. Rafa doesn’t have a problem with it so why should we?
Amy..call.me silly ..i read some astrology predictions n they all have Novak winning this…it seems his stars are best..(:-
One more rafa loss to Novak at RG n his fans will go berserk
Have these astrology predictions been correct in the past sanju???
Because I have a pretty strong feeling you have told us some in recent years which have been wrong.
If they were wrong before theycan/will be wrong again.
I just came here to post that Rafa is 3rd on Chatrier tomorrow.
Alcaraz against Khachanov is the night match which is a bit strange given Alcaraz played at night last night!!!!
Zverev, Med, Swiatek have all not played night matches.
Neither have Rudd or Rublev. They are supposed to be shared among the players.
Swiatek will surely play one so this gives me hope it will be her quarter final on Tuesday. Please let that be the case so rafole won’t be the night match.
Maybe it won’t be because that would not actually be great for tv. They start at 9 in Paris. Well a rafole match could go on until 2am. People won’t want to stay up till 2 on a weekday.
Anyway, Rafa has to beat FAA!
Has anyone seen FAA play? I saw him first match and he had to go 5 sets. He didn’t look that good then! Last round he had to play 2 tiebreaker s and was down a break in the 3rd against an unseeded player. That’s not that good so I don’t know why people are saying he is playing so well…..!
I think it’s more of Rafa facing his first quality opponent. This kid is in the top ten for a reason. I always think that Rafa has the advantage in a best of five set match. Felix survived an early scare and that can guve a player confidence when you can come back from two sets down.
The first three players could not really challenge Rafa. I never though he could lose to them. He got what he needed from those matches. Straight sets with a few bills. Thompson and Moutet played very well and gave Rafa enough to let him get the feel of his shots.
Rafa never takes anyone for granted. Some here are looking ahead to Rafa and Novak meeting up in the quarterfinal. I am talking it one match at a time.
Straight sets with a few BLIPS.
It’s been 70 percent correct..a Tarot card reader rightly predicted no slams for rafa last year and said 2-3 for Novak.. this year he predicted rafa for ao 22 correctly..he had initially at start of year said rafa has 60 pc chance for French but now rules it out n says rafa won’t win french but Novak will reach final ( however does not say he will win it). He also still maintains 2 slams for rafa this year ..if not french it has to be wimby as he says another injury for rafa post September..
This means rafa Novak is sure shot night if both reach there .alcaraz won’t get 3 night matches n Novak will surely demand his pound of flesh having played on lenglen twice
Sanju, I know little bit indian astrology(south indian style)..But, I dont take it seriously either. but yes overall, Nole horoscope is much better than Rafa.. I was sad checking that few years back during 2011 nole surge. I am not an expert or professional, but Nadal will have struggle in having kids unless his wife horoscope is strong on that aspect.
Sorry guys, I bored you all with my message irrelevant to this thread..
Not u too Raj!! Lol!!!
Astrology I view like a hobby for some!!!
Astrology has precisely nothing to do with any tennis match. That is disrespectful to the players. As though they have no control over what happens in a match. It is absurd.
Believe what you want. Sometimes its in the air, you can feel it.
I saw him play yesterday! He is playing very aggressively and his shots r deep something that can trouble Rafa! But like Rafa says, it’s what happens on the court that matters!
Sanju, astrology?! 🤣🤣😂😂
What did the astrology say for AO22?!
The Tarot card reader predicted rafa will win ao 22 …he said 100 pc he will win it that too before tourney started
I really don’t go along with astrology being a reasonable prediction for the outcome of a tennis match.
I also think some are making the mistake of looking ahead to the quarterfinal. Rafa has to get through Felix first. He is playing well right now. I don’t think this will be easy, but I hope to see Rafa step it up. He usually rises to a challenge.
Yes, Felix match is tricky. Rafa needs sometime to understand Felix game if this is their first time.
They played in Madrid in 2019.
Rafa won 6-3, 6-3.
That result won’t mean much because it was 3 years ago. Felix is a much better player ow.
They must practice a lot at the RNA.
Here’s what Toni has to say about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REULmu1WSzY&t=72s
I meant Felix.
What Rafa has to say
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfWME_R3h8E
Felix can play very very good or awful. We’ll see.
Well let’s hope it’s not very very good!
I am hoping Toni not coaching him for this match and not being in his box will work against him…
Look, I am not impressed with this situation at all!!! This is the last thing Rafa needs. Don’t care what Rafa says this can’t be pleasant for him, sigh!
How is uncle Toni deciding not to coach Felix for this match? This is perhaps the match of Felix’s life uncle Toni SHOULD be coaching him!!! I maintain that he should have waited after Rafa retired to coach someone else, choopz!!!
Toni didn’t give Felix any “special” tips on defeating Rafa. He is coaching him, just not from his coaches’ box, which he should NOT be doing anyway! Toni will watch the match on tv.
It’s always been part of their coaching agreement that Toni would remain neutral when Rafa and Felix played each other. Maybe Toni should have avoided coaching any individual whilst Rafa is still on tour to avoid people seeing a conflict of interest. Toni has made a point of sitting in Rafa’s and Felix’s box up to now.
Toni asked Moya to take over from him because he thought it was time for him to spend more time with his family as his children were growing up and he was never there. Toni is not Felix’s main coach, he helps him. Felix’s main coach is Frederic Fontang. He will be there in Felix’s box and will give him any pointers against Rafa.
Heres hoping the stars will align for Felix, Toni having given him his full coaching abilities and he gets through in a long five setter in a night match with the roof closed with the crowd playing minimal part just like the foot injury.