Auger-Aliassime, now coached by Nadal's uncle and long-time mentor Toni who sat in his box, will face Fritz in his final group match with a chance of making the last four.
The 35-year-old also paid tribute to Messi, who played for Real's arch-rivals Barcelona.
Images from Day 1 of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday.
He was drawn in the toughest half of the draw with Nadal as well as in-form Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and world number three Alexander Zverev, who could clash in the last eight.
Former world number one Roger Federer retained his place at the top of the list of the world's highest paid tennis players for a 17th year despite not playing a match for nearly 14 months.
IMAGES from the football matches played across Europe on Sunday.
Roger Federer said he is "definitely" intending to return to top-level tennis in 2023, but added that he had not made any concrete plans beyond his scheduled appearances at the Laver Cup and his home tournament in Basel later this year.
Nadal appeared close to retiring mid-match on Wednesday on Centre Court but he found the will to beat Fritz
A round-up of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League
Swiss great Roger Federer is due to take to the court later in the day for the final match of his career, with the 41-year-old partnering his great rival Rafael Nadal to face the American duo of Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
Fierce like firestorm yet soft like marshmallow: Federer and Nadal
Novak Djokovic's steady progress in the last few seasons is a testament to his mental strength and physical conditioning.
It was only Alcaraz's third tournament on grass, but the way he marched through the draw augurs well for his prospects at Wimbledon, where he will be seeded number one.
A second-half goal by forward Lautaro Martinez earned Inter Milan a 1-0 victory over rivals AC Milan in their Champions League semi-final second leg.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will not play in the Australian Open after picking up a right leg muscle injury during pre-season training, the Spaniard said on Friday.
That decision opened a path for him to target a 10th title at the Grand Slam and tie Rafael Nadal's mark of 22 majors.
Roundup of Champions League matches played on Wednesday night
Watching the clash at the Court Philippe Chatrier were movie stars Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller, Michael Douglas and Demi Moore and royalty, including Spain's King Felipe VI, Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
Inter Milan scored two early goals to secure an impressive 2-0 win over AC Milan in the Champions League semi-final first leg
Even though Carlos Alcaraz recently dethroned him from the top of the world rankings, Novak Djokovic is still considered the man to beat and still has the power to turn opponents into nervous wrecks.
Nadal has traditionally started his French Open campaigns with at least one claycourt title under his belt but this year got to the French capital empty-handed.
Nadal had arrived in Paris nursing a nagging foot injury and even brought a doctor with him to improve his chances
'I feel honoured. I feel lucky to achieve one more very special thing in my tennis career. I don't care much if I am the one or not the one or the best of the history. For me, it's about enjoying nights like today. That means everything for me.'
Teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev have both said they would not want their quarter-final, also on Tuesday, to be scheduled during the night session.
Rafael Nadal will become the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles if he defeats the Russian in Melbourne.
IMAGES from Day 10 of the Wimbledon 2022 Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic defended his father after a video emerged showing him posing at the Australian Open with some fans holding Russian flags, saying he was "misused" by the individuals and that his family was against war.
Novak Djokovic won a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a generational clash in the men's singles final, at Melbourne Park, on Sunday.
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Tuesday.
Nadal's unbeaten streak of 20 matches in the year 2022 came to an end as he lost to Taylor Fritz
Swiss great Roger Federer insists he will end his career this week with no regrets even though his record of 20 Grand Slam titles was overhauled by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal called Novak Djokovic's COVID-19 vaccination controversy in Australia "a circus" and joked that he would prefer that the world number one tennis player didn't play at the upcoming Australian Open.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic outclasses Russia's Andrey Rublev to set up a meeting with unseeded Tommy Paul in the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The duo will face El Salvador's Marcelo Arevalo and Netherlands' Jean-Julien Rojer in the semi-finals.
Paris crowd made themselves heard on day one of the French Open as they booed and jeered when Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands
An emotional Frances Tiafoe promised to one day hoist the US Open trophy after his Cinderella story came to a premature end on Friday with a semi-final loss to Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nadal said on Friday that he intends to compete at Wimbledon later this month
The world number five Spaniard has won 15 straight matches since returning from a foot issue that sidelined him for nearly six months last year.
Images from football matches held across Europe on Saturday
Former world number one Andy Murray eased past Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard's comeback match at the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
