Auger-Aliassime shocks Nadal in his last match before Wimbledon
ATP
After comfortably beating Stan Wawrinka, Rafael Nadal took on Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2022 Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club but surprisingly lost to the Canadian.
It seemed that the grass-court preparation would be flawless for the 22-time Grand Slam champion. In his first match at the Hurlingham Club, he easily bested Stan Wawrinka, winning the match 6-2, 6-3.
But his second match wasn't so easy. Felix Auger-Aliassime managed to stop the legendary Spaniard, proving that he knows very well how to trouble him.
Auger-Aliassime is coached by Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and former coach. Maybe also thanks to that partnership, it seems that the Canadian now has all the keys to beating the experienced Spaniard.
At the 2022 Roland Garros, it was the young Canadian who was the only player to win two sets against the champion, and at the Hurlingham Club, he proved his qualities once again.
The first set was played without a single break point and so the tie-break decided it. There wasn't a single moment when Nadal would be in the lead as the young Canadian won the first set 8-6 in the tie-break.
In the second set, fans saw the only break point of the match, and it was also converted. Nadal got his chance in the fifth game, and he didn't hesitate and made good use of it to win the second set 6-4.
The third set was decided by a super tie-break. Since the Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club is only an exhibition, players don't play full three sets, deciding the third set only by a match tie-break, as is often the case in doubles matches on the ATP Tour.
That super tie-break was dominated by Auger-Aliassime from start to finish. He broke Nadal's serve three times and won it 10-3 to get his first unofficial victory over the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
