"It's not his first rodeo, he'll be ready" - Felix Auger-Aliassime expects Rafael Nadal to give his best against Casper Ruud at 2022 ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal's chances of winning the ATP Finals title were dashed after Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated him on Tuesday at the Pala Alpitour Stadium in Turin.

The Spaniard lost 6-3, 6-4 to fifth seed Auger-Aliassime and will next face Norwegian Casper Ruud in his last group encounter. Auger-Aliassime, on the other hand, will lock horns with American Taylor Fritz.

Given that he has faced both players in the tournament, Auger-Aliassime, in a press conference, was asked if Ruud has a chance of defeating Nadal for the first time in his career. The Canadian replied in the positive, stating that Ruud has a shot at defeating the former World No. 1.

"I think he does [have a chance of beating Nadal]. I mean, why not? Not sure how Rafa is going to feel. It must be difficult. I was also thinking today, it never happens that we lose two matches in one week. One already, usually you're done. To lose two, it's difficult. I mean, I'm sure it's not his first rodeo. He'll be ready and try to give himself the best chances, so let's see that," Auger-Aliassime expressed.

The World No. 6 believes that Ruud has been "training well" and "playing great," which puts him in good stead when facing Nadal next.

"In terms of Casper's game, I feel like he's playing great. I think he played a little bit under his ambitions in the last few tournaments indoors, but he recovered well. I feel like he's been training well. Definitely against me, he was hitting the ball really well, serving good, solid from the backhand. I think there is no reason why there's not a chance for him to win also," he stated.

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"It's a special win, it's never easy to beat players of this caliber" - Felix Auger-Aliassime on his defeat of Rafael Nadal

Felix Auger-Aliassime in action at the 2022 ATP Finals.

Felix Auger-Aliassime also reflected on his victory over Rafael Nadal, stating that it was a very "important" win for him as defeating a player of the 36-year-old's caliber is never easy.

"It's a special win. It's never easy to beat players of this caliber. So brings a lot of confidence to me. It's nice to say that I was able to beat him finally, then also at this tournament, which is not like I beat him at a lower-level tournament," Auger-Aliassime said.

"It was an important win for me in this tournament to stay alive and to keep going," he added.