Felix Auger-Aliassime on tight RG loss to Rafael Nadal:

Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime, 21, admitted losing two tight matches at this past two Grand Slams was not an easy pill to swallow but adds he is confident he is getting closer to his goal.

At the start of the season in Australia, Auger-Aliassime was up by two sets versus Daniil Medvedev before the Russian stormed back to win their match in two sets.

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At the French Open, Auger-Aliassime became only the third player ever to force a fifth set versus Rafael Nadal but couldn't get over the finishing line as the Spaniard escaped with a 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 win in their laast-16 match.

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“I felt like victory was not so far and when you feel that and you lose, it’s never easy to swallow,” Auger-Aliassime told The Guardian.

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“But it’s all right. At the end of the day, these last two grand slams have been very positive for me.

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Three weeks after their French Open match, Auger-Aliassime and Nadal clashed again.

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This time, Auger-Aliassime and Nadal clashed at an exhibition match as the Canadian beat the Spaniard at Hurlingham 7-6 (6) 4-6 10-3.

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Even though 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 ahead of Wimbledon.

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"We’re competitors we try to win whenever we can, even when practicing for major tournaments. He [Rafael Nadal] is a great inspiration to me, it’s a pleasure and priviledge to get to play him.

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I had a great week, so thank you and maybe see you next year," Auger-Aliassime said after the match.

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