Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime, 21, admitted that losing two tight matches in these last two Grand Slams was not an easy pill to swallow, but adds that he is confident he is getting closer to his goal. Earlier in the season in Australia, Auger-Aliassime was leading by straight sets against Daniil Medvedev before the Russian came from behind to win the match from him.
At the French Open, Auger-Aliassime became the third player in history to force a fifth set against Rafael Nadal, but was unable to get past the finish line as the Spaniard prevailed 3-6, 6-3. , 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in their round of 16 match.
“I felt like victory wasn’t that far off and when you feel that and you lose, it’s never easy to swallow,” Auger-Aliassime told The Guardian. “But nothing happens. After all, these last two Grand Slams have been very positive for me.
I have shown great things. And I think it just means that I’m getting closer to my goal.” Three weeks after their match at the French Open, Auger-Aliassime and Nadal met again. This time, Auger-Aliassime and Nadal met in an exhibition match in which the Canadian beat the Spaniard in Hurlingham 7-6 (6), 4-6, 10-3.
Although it was just an exhibition, a win over Nadal is still a win over Nadal and will certainly provide an extra boost of confidence for the Canadian heading into Wimbledon. “We are competitors who try to win whenever we can, even when we practice for the big tournaments.
He [Rafael Nadal] is a great inspiration for me, it is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to play against him.”
Roig comments on Rafa Nadal
Francisco Roig is confident that Rafael Nadal will do everything in his power to find the energy needed to give himself the best shot to win the Wimbledon title.
“Having the energy to do what he has done is very difficult. He needs that energy. After Roland Garros, which was a tough, tough, tough tournament, he had a few days off to reconnect mentally with another Grand Slam he, we can’t fool ourselves, he’s coming to win,” Roig said.
At the same time, he admitted that it has been difficult for Nadal to adapt to the grass courts after a three-year gap. “He hasn’t played here for three years and the memory and the feeling that you have from one year to the next is fundamental, because you retain something.
It always costs you a bit, but if you’ve played the previous year and the others, that helps in adaptation,” Roig explained.
