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Felix Auger-Aliassime was the talk of the tennis community on Thursday as he announced the signing of Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal as his coach. Toni won't work in isolation though; he will be joining Auger-Aliassime's current coach Frederic Fontang, who recently expressed his excitement at the prospect of teaming up with the veteran.
"I believe in teamwork a lot and have always done well that way," Fontang said. "A coach must progress his entire career on the circuit and in life. And there, having Toni by our side, to be able to discuss with him and gain experience, is very positive for me, for the whole team and for Felix in particular."
"Above all, it injects a dose of confidence," Fontang added.
Frederic Fontang has been coaching Felix Auger-Aliassime since the time the latter was playing in the juniors and Challengers. The Frenchman has also worked with the likes of Jeremy Chardy and Vasek Pospisil in the past.
Fontang believes the presence of Toni Nadal will be invigorating for both him and Auger-Aliassime.
"We were really looking for a mentor to stimulate Felix and also to stimulate me," Fontang said. "We wanted an outside eye, an experienced person. And Toni Nadal, he has the build for the outfit we were looking for."
"Having someone like Toni Nadal by your side brings a natural confidence" - Felix Auger-Aliassime's coach Fontang
Lack of consistency has been the biggest reason for Felix Auger-Aliassime's struggles on tour over the past year. The young Canadian raced off the blocks early on, breaking into the top 20 of the ATP rankings as a teenager, but he is yet to win a senior title despite making seven finals.
According to Frederic Fontang, Toni Nadal can inspire the confidence and consistency in the 20-year-old's game to go one step further and contend for titles.
"Having someone like Toni Nadal by your side brings a natural confidence which is very important," Fontang said. "We want Felix to show even more consistency and be able to tip the matches in his favor, like the one he lost against Tsitsipas in Acapulco."
However, Fontang was quick to clarify that the ultimate responsibility for Felix Auger-Aliassime's career lies solely on his own shoulders.
"Even if there is Toni Nadal or another great coach, at the end of the day, it is Felix who is responsible for his matches, his victories or his defeats," the Frenchman concluded.
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