What a long way since June 2016 and the first meeting with Tennis News for Felix Auger-Aliassime. 2021 has been a great year for the young Canadian. An entry into the Top 10 last Monday (before coming out next Monday), an eighth-final in Melbourne, a quarter to Wimbledon, and a semi-final at theUS Open… The 21-year-old’s season has been particularly rich. Very well surrounded, “FAA” advances with a lot of serenity and assurance thanks, in particular, to his coach, Frédéric Fontang. Since 2016, the French coach, former 59th in the world, has allowed Felix to evolve and mature through stages. Proud of his foal, Frédéric Fontang returned to the 2021 season of his protégé in an interview with Tennis News. The year 2021, the education of Felix Auger-Aliassime, l’Open d’Australie 2022… the coach of the Canadian spoke with a lot of calm and pragmatism all these subjects.
Le Mag Tennis Actu with Frédéric Fontang, FAA coach
“Félix managed to enter the Top 10 and it was a great step forward”
Frédéric Fontang, how are you at the end of this year 2021?
It feels good to be at rest. After the Stockholm tournament, we ended the season. Felix was supposed to play the Davis Cup but considering the length of the season and the fact that he had inflammation in his knee, he needed rest. When the player we coach has had a good season, we go on vacation with a good state of mind. (to smile)
During the last week of the season, when Jannik Sinner was not scheduled to play the Masters, he finally pulled Felix out of the Top 10. Is that a big disappointment?
No because we already knew it. Tsitsipas was in trouble after his retirement at Bercy so we had in mind the possibility of Sinner’s replacement. And at the same time, Jannik Sinner deserves this place. Félix managed to enter the Top 10 and it was a great step forward.
“We absorbed the experience of Toni Nadal”
What is THE positive point of this season?
Having added Toni Nadal to our team at the start of the season, that he could come to a few tournaments … the idea was to have a more solid and consistent game. The great satisfaction is the consistency in Grand Slam with an eighth in Australia, quarter at Wimbledon and a half at the US Open. This is the big positive point.
On a personal level, how did you feel working with Toni Nadal? As a coach, it must be a great experience. Do we learn from each other with these kinds of encounters?
Here is ! You already have answers in your question. He is someone who had already had high results with his nephew. We absorbed experience. The results weren’t there at the start but we can’t make any links. He gave us directions for development. It was able to confirm my methodology and have additional options thanks to the Nadal method.
And the black point then or the point to work?
The Masters 1000 results. The Grand Slam results were good. In Masters 1000, there were first laps. There is also a first title which is important and which we will try to achieve next year.
How do you explain these difficulties in Masters 1000?
There is no obvious reason. Félix is no different in Masters 1000 or Grand Slam. The difference is that in Masters 1000, we immediately play dangerous players. In Grand Slam, we are protected by the status of seed. He plays Ruud in Madrid, Ramos in Rome. These aspects are more difficult to manage but it is the experience that will help.
“The important element in Félix is his education”
Tennis Actu had met Félix in 2016 during his final in Juniors at Roland-Garros. What are you most proud of in your progress in all this time?
The important element in Félix is his education. I got to know his parents and I can see the strength of his upbringing. The fundamentals are there because the education was very well done. He has his head on his shoulders, he is posed …
Talent is one thing. But, I imagine that for you it is a pleasure to discuss with such a poised and mature young man?
Absolutely, you said it. What is talent? There are plenty of definitions. At Félix, his quality is to be calm and to work every day. For a coach of my age, it’s nice to be able to interact with a young person like that, discuss philosophy, politics, geopolitics. This is very good!
Do you ever have tense exchanges? It’s hard to imagine arguments between you two …
No it is very rare. Serenity is one of our characters. Moments of tension, there are bound to be some. But, all that is not going to a degree which will be of the order of the clash. The coach is there to hold the frame. The player wants to win and we coaches are in the process of making the results come.
On the search for a first title: “It’s his way. You have to see it the right way. He still made 8 finals”
What does he lack to finally win this first trophy?
Tennis is there. He plays Djere in Rio during the premiere. It was the first for both and the match was played in three sets. After that he lost to Top 10 players. The mental and emotional aspect is heavier now. This is his way. You have to see it the right way. He still made 8 finals. We have to set the conditions for that to happen and he has things to learn in the mental management of his finals. He is developing tools that will allow him to get there. There are also tennis solutions to be had. At the start of the year, against Dan Evans, he did not make a good tactical final (Editor’s note: At the Murray River Open, in Melbourne, in February). It’s important to understand that when there are hardships to go through, there are things to learn.
We would tend to forget him but he is only 21 years old, this early career remains remarkable …
Of course, already 8 finals at 21 years old, 3 years old in the top 21, he has just entered the top 10, that’s good! We always want better but his boat is progressing well, his Formula 1 is progressing well. It is moving in the right direction knowing that there will always be difficult times.
Do you have the impression that Felix is different on Sunday morning, before a final?
No… Before each match, there are small fluctuations. Compared to its finals, we did not feel any particular nervousness. As he is a young player, very aggressive, his options are a little slower to set up. It takes a little more maturity and experience and that is where he has really progressed a lot.
4. @felixtennis is the 4th player with a virgin record when entering the Top 10:
�’🇪 Mikael Pernfors – 1986
🠇 «ðŸ ‡ · Cédric Pioline – 1993
🠇 ¨ðŸ ‡ ¾ Marcos Baghdatis – 2006
Felix Auger-Aliasimus – 2021🖋�’� Via @VoodeMar pic.twitter.com/fLP6Lh37dT
– Game, Set and Maths (@JeuSetMaths) November 15, 2021
“Today, to do their job, I think it’s important that the players are vaccinated”
There is a lot of talk about the Australian Open. We do not yet know the process. Are you worried? How do you see things?
A person from Tennis Australia reassured us at Bercy by telling us that it would play out anyway. Will there be Doha or only tournaments in Australia? We will see … I have no worries about the maintenance of the tournament but after that are the modalities … Everyone makes their choices. Today, to do their job, I think it’s important that the players are vaccinated. It goes beyond tennis. It’s quite reasonable to get vaccinated from the moment you want to continue to be a top-level athlete and play the Australian Open. Can the unvaccinated play? We do not know but I think that for the vaccinated, the conditions will be good.
Recently, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios argued that whether or not being vaccinated should be kept confidential and personal. On the other hand, tennis players are role models… Do you find this position disturbing?
We touch on important questions … We are in a civilization where communication is important. Headliners and influential players need to pay attention to communication. I have a 19 year old boy and a 16 year old girl. So I speak as a parent. You have to be careful because it is not because you test very hard in your sport that you can have a relevant opinion on other aspects of life, politics, etc. communicate, or not play the game with journalists. Top-level players benefit from this system because it promotes their brand and their career. The players need to be well surrounded so as not to fall into extremes like Naomi Osaka. You need a good entourage for responsible communication.
Are you helping Félix with the media?
The role of coach is also the role of educator. I am focused on tennis but that does not prevent adult discussions. Felix has his agent to take care of that and once again the education of his parents. They gave him a good basis for discussing by having the tools.
What can we wish you and Félix for the year 2022? He will have this first title, it’s written! (to smile)
The philosophy remains the same. To be better every day, and to give the best. In terms of precise objective, a first title of course, perform in Grand Slam and Masters 1000 and finish the year at the Masters. This is the goal of Felix and all the Top 20 players today.
– .
