Coach Nadal Reveals Some Coaching Secrets

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 3rd January 2014

Coach Nadal Reveals Some Coaching Secrets

epa03784071 Spanish tennis coach Toni Nadal, uncle of Rafael Nadal, sits in the stands during the ATP tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, 11 July 2013. EPA/MARIJAN MURAT |

While every day seems to bring a new high profile coach to the upper echelon of the ATP World Tour, Toni Nadal remains a constant. And while his world no.1 nephew Rafael continues to look supreme at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, the senior Nadal is in Brisbane, addressing Tennis Australia’s seminar of 70 coaches.

Uncle Toni outlined his philosophy and admitted one major reason why there remains to be no threatening challenge from younger players to the quartet of his nephew, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, who have won 34 of the past 35 Grand Slam titles is a lack of respect to coaches and a wariness of hard work along with absolute commitment.

He wonders when he sees coaches being totally subservient to their young players and said: “Never in my life, I bring the racquet to the practice. Almost never, I bring the racquets to the stringers. Or water to the court for Rafael. The young players now play really good, but make many mistakes.”

Uncle Toni was prepared to elaborate. “Coaches come for players with water, with food – many times I see the player go to the court for practice and the player goes with nothing and the coach has the bag,” he observed. “I have seen many times players who talk to his coach so bad.

“The players should have respect for the coach and all the people, the same as someone who cleans this apartment. It is a problem.”

And Uncle Toni admits there is a family understanding that whenever his charge loses – and admittedly that hasn’t been very often of late – it is agreed Rafa is the man to blame rather than his coach.

“Never, when Rafael lose, it is my fault. If Rafael lose, it’s (his) fault and it’s true. When he wins his matches, it’s for him,” Toni Nadal said.

“For this reason too, Rafael has never changed his coach. Now, he is maybe the only one who has the same coach, the other players changed their coach because the players are tired (of hearing) all the same (things) from the same people.”

Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Atp World Tour, Brisbane, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Toni Nadal