"If he hasn’t fired Toni Nadal yet, it’s time" - Tennis fans react as Felix Auger-Aliassime's losses pile up with Canadian Open 1R upset

Tennis fans were left stunned as Felix Auger-Aliassime's poor run of form continued with a first-round defeat to qualifier Max Purcell at the 2023 Canadian Open.

On Tuesday, August 9, Auger-Aliassime took on Purcell at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto. The Canadian struggled in the face of Purcell's dominance as the Australian conceded only three points behind his first serve and did not give away a single break point en route to his 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Coming on the back of his shock defeat to Yosuke Watanuki at the Citi Open last week, the 23-year-old has now extended his win-loss record to 13-13 for the season. His last back-to-back victories date back to his quarterfinal run at the Indian Wells Masters in March.

Auger-Aliassime suffered first-round exits at both the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships this season.

The Canadian's sharp decline in form is startling for fans, given his outstanding performance last season, during which he won all four of his singles titles and reached his career-high ranking of World No. 6.

Several fans attributed Auger-Aliassime's recent losses to his partnership with Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni. A fan suggested it was time for the 23-year-old to fire the Spaniard.

"If he hasn't fired Toni yet, it's time," a fan tweeted.

"Toni Nadal destroyed this poor kid! Felix run!" a user posted.

Another fan proposed that the Canadian end his season early.

"He should call it a season imo," another fan posted.

Here are a few more fan reactions to Felix Auger-Aliassime's loss:

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"I’m sure Felix Auger-Aliassime will figure it out at some point and smoke me" - Max Purcell after Canadian Open 1R win

Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2023 Canadian Open

After defeating Canadians Peter Polansky and Brayden Schnur in the qualifiers, Max Purcell upset home favorite and the No. 10 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round of the 2023 Canadian Open to achieve the biggest win of his career so far.

Purcell attributed his victory to the top players being unfamiliar with his playing style. He remarked that he expected Auger-Aliassime to adapt and eventually "smoke" him once he understood his game better.

"These top guys haven’t played me much, so they don’t really know too many of my patterns yet. I’m sure Felix will figure it out at some point and smoke me. But I think it’s a little bit of that unknown and I guess I have nothing to lose out here as well. In saying that, I still trust that my level is good enough to play with these big guys," Purcell said in his post-match interview.

Following his win over Felix Auger-Aliassime, Max Purcell will be up against Andy Murray in the second round. Murray defeated Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(3), 6-0 to book his spot against the Australian.