I don't think Toni Nadal is approaching it like he wants me to play like Rafael Nadal: Felix Auger-Aliassime

Felix Auger-Aliassime has revealed that Toni Nadal doesn't approach his coaching like he wants him to play like his nephew Rafael Nadal.

Toni Nadal coached his nephew after he picked up a racquet as a young boy until the end of the 2017 tennis season to focus on the Rafa Nadal Academy. He started coaching Auger-Aliassime in 2021. While the Canadian's first two tour finals were on claycourt, his record on the surface last year was poor with a win-loss of 6-11.

The Canadian spoke to Eurosport ahead of the Barcelona Open and said that he intends to have a better claycourt season in 2022 than what he managed last year. He also said that Toni Nadal has helped him improve his game with his insight and input.

"I didn't have the most amazing clay season last year in terms of results," Auger-Aliassime said. "So, this year, it's just an opportunity for me to try to do things better, try to improve on this surface, try to win more matches. So that's what I'm trying to do, and it starts with the training, it starts in the work that I'm gonna put every day and Toni helps a lot with that, on his input and you know, we talk about the matches, we talk about my game and how I am supposed to approach matches and competitions. So, he's been a great help.

"Of Course, we've been together for more than a year now working, so yea, things are going good. We have good weeks, bad weeks but at the end, the work is great and it is moving in the right direction," he added.

The World No. 9 also said that he has very different qualities to Rafael Nadal and that Toni Nadal does not approach his coaching like he wants him to play like the King of Clay.

"I'm not Rafael, like we have different qualities, it's tough to replicate what Rafael did in his career on clay. So you know, I'm more maybe a hardcourt player, I play well on grass as well. So, of course it's different strengths.

"He (Toni Nadal) adapted to the player he's working with. I don't think he's approaching it like he wants me to play like his nephew, I think that would be wrong. But anyway he has a great knowledge about tennis and he knows a lot, so, he's able to help me."

Felix Auger-Aliassime begins his Barelona Open campaign as the third seed

Felix Auger-Aliassime is the third seed at the Barcelona Open

The Canadian is the third seed at the Barcelona Open and will look to have a good run in the competition following a disappointing few weeks. Auger-Aliassime has won only one out of five matches (against Elliot Benchetrit in Marrakech) since his Marseille Open final loss against Andrey Rublev.

The 21-year-old will take on Carlos Taberner in the second round of the tournament after receiving a bye in the first round.