Serene like Nadal. In three matches, he did not miss a single set and lost only 23 games, less than three per set on average. Against Botic van de Zandschulp (29th), the Spaniard felt he had played his “best game minutes since I came back from my rib injury” in early May. A 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win in just over two hours. All in front of Zinedine Zidane: “I didn’t see him, but I knew he was there because I was listening, I could hear the crowd saying his name all the time. I imagined he was there, but I didn’t have the opportunity to see him after my match.
Toni advises Auger-Aliassime
Place for Félix Auger-Aliassime in the round of 16. The Canadian, who had never won a match on clay in Paris before this 2022 edition, dominated the Serbian Filip Krajinovic (55th) 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2), 7 -5.
For the first time since he was no longer trained by his uncle Toni, “Rafa” will find him in the opposite camp, that of Félix Auger-Aliassime, with whom his former mentor has been working for a little over a year. . Toni said he wouldn’t give advice to the Canadian due to his links with Rafa. “If there was a secret to beating Rafa, he wouldn’t have won thirteen times here,” Auger-Aliassime slipped with a smile. For Nadal: “He’s my uncle, I don’t think he’ll want me to lose, but he’s a professional. He is with another player. I don’t know if he’ll stay in the box or not, but I don’t care. I have zero problem with that. I know the feelings we have for each other. I know he only wants the best for me. We are in the same village, we are together all the time. We before experienced incredible emotions together. It’s not just my uncle, it’s much more than that.
