“Felix is in the other corner,” Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal’s cold exchange in BreakPoint hints at sour relationship
The Spaniard and his uncle and former coach had an awkward exchange ahead of Rafa's fourth round clash with Fellix Auger-Aliassame, Toni's new protege
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Rafael and Toni Nadal
Rafael Nadal was not too happy to interact with his uncle Toni Nadal ahead of his match against Toni’s protégé Felix Auger-Aliassime. The reaction Nadal had on seeing Toni ahead of the fourth-round clash was revealed in Netflix’s Break Point documentary, the first part of which was recently released. Nadal encounters Toni in the corridors before the match and says,” Felix is in the other corner. Are you allowed to be on this side?
Toni replies to his nephew,” Yeah I mean, come on.” The pair then continue to chat in the corridor. Toni’s attitude to the Nadal-Felix match caused a massive uproar at the French Open. As revealed in the documentary, Toni, who is Felix’s coach, withheld his advice on how to beat Nadal. He also publicly told French media at Roland Garros that he wanted his nephew to win. This statement attracted the wrath of fans, media and fellow coaches who called Toni unprofessional. One fan tweeted, “I hope Felix got a discount.”
The decision to not support Felix led to a dilemma for Toni. He had to decide where to sit during the match and whether to attend at all. The question was put to Rafael Nadal in the pre-match press conference. He acknowledged that his uncle would naturally want him to win but he was a professional, so he would have no hard feelings if he backed Felix. In the end, Toni placed himself in a neutral stand and left before the fifth set.
The match itself was highly entertaining. Canadian Felix pushed Nadal to a five-setter but lost 6-3,3-6,2-6,6-3,3-6. This was only Nadal’s third fifth setter in the French Open in his career. Nadal went on to win the 14th French Open of his career. It was also his 22nd Grand Slam title, the most by any men’s player.
Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open 2023 draw
Nadal has been handed a potentially tricky draw at the 2023 Australian Open. The defending champion starts his campaign against Britisher Jack Draper. Win in that and he could face Next Gen ATP Finals 2022 winner Brandon Nakashima.
Frances Tiafoe, who knocked Nadal out of the US Open, could be his opponent in the fourth round. The biggest match would, however, be a rematch of last year’s final. Daniil Medvedev could get a chance for revenge against Nadal if they make it to the quarterfinals.
Nadal has been drawn on the opposite side of the draw as Novak Djokovic. Should they make the final, as they are the favorites, it will be their 19th Grand Slam final against each other. The match would be a blessing for tennis fans who have been waiting for this clash since the 2020 French Open final.
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Samarth Srivastava
(139 Articles Published)