Felix Auger-Aliassime Says He Didn’t Hire Toni Nadal to ‘Play Better on Clay’ After Reaching Roland Garros Quarterfinal

This French Open has seen many surprises. For the first time since the 2022 French Open, a player other than Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, or Carlos Alcaraz will win a Grand Slam title.

None of the players who have made the quarterfinals has tasted success in the Majors. One of the players making the last eight is Felix Auger-Aliassime, who breezed past Alejandro Tabilo in the previous round.

The Canadian ace is the winner of nine singles titles, all of which he won on hard courts. At the press conference after his win, when he was asked about his improvements on clay, Auger-Aliassime made it clear that he doesn’t care at all about clay, and the reason behind his adding Rafael Nadal‘s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal (from April 2021 to early 2024), was not to play better on the surface but to improve his overall game.

I don’t know, maybe if I win the tournament, I’ll make it clear to everyone: I don’t care about clay. I just don’t care. I’m going to tell you a story. When I was 18, my coaches thought I should go play in South America because I was better on clay. So I went to Rio, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo… In the summer, I skipped grass to play on clay. At 18, the plan was to play more on clay.

Prior to this season, the French Open was the only Major where the 25-year-old had not reached the quarterfinals. Before arriving in the French capital, Auger-Aliassime made the last eight in just one clay-court tournament (in Monte Carlo, where he lost to eventual champion Sinner).

I don’t care about clay. And I didn’t hire Toni to play better on clay. I just wanted to learn from someone who has been at the highest level of tennis. That was the key. Not just to be better on clay.

Felix Auger-Aliassime added

Auger-Aliassime is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, reaching the stage twice (at the 2021 US Open and the 2025 US Open). Last year at the French Open, he suffered an opening-round exit.

Felix Auger-Aliassime will play Flavio Cobolli next

Felix Auger-Aliassime will be playing against someone who has already won two clay-court titles from three career singles finals. It’s Flavio Cobolli, who has so far dropped just one set in the tournament, against Zachary Svajda in the fourth round.

Cobolli holds a 2-0 head-to-head record over Auger-Aliassime. Both times they played on hardcourts. They last met in the second round of the 2024 Canadian Open, with their first meeting being in Acapulco the same year.

He destroyed me. I played terribly. Then, yes, we played a very contested match in Acapulco. It was tough. I served poorly. But I could already see that he was a great player. He wasn’t at the top of the rankings, but when you see how he moves, when you see his shots, you realize he has talent; you realize he’s a very complete player.

Felix Auger-Aliassime said at the press conference

Auger-Aliassime has already played two finals this year. After winning the Open Sud de France against Adrian Mannarino, he lost the Rotterdam Open to Alex de Minaur. He has never won a Big Title, but has played two Masters 1000 finals.

Cobolli, on the other hand, has lifted one title from two finals this year. After defeating Frances Tiafoe in the Mexican Open final, the 24-year-old lost to Ben Shelton in the Munich Open.

The two clay-court titles that he won were at the 2025 Romanian Open and the Hamburg European Open the same season. Cobolli will also be playing in the French Open quarterfinal for the first time.

Also read: (Video) Carlos Alcaraz Steps Up Wrist Injury Recovery with Left-Handed Tennis Sessions