Rafael Nadal

[Damian]

Toni Nadal Reflects On Time As Rafa's Coach

Spoiler:

Rafa's uncle and former coach is in Roland Garros to support his nephew
Throughout Rafael Nadal's career, his uncle, mentor and former coach, Toni Nadal, has been an instrumental figure in guiding the Spaniard to success. Nadal, winner of 78 tour-level titles, has never downplayed the importance of having Toni by his side. His uncle stepped down from coaching duties at the end of last season and has since primarily focused his time into running the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in Mallorca, Spain.

Last year, Toni led coaching duties as Nadal defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to lift his 10th title on the Parisian terre battue. This week, however, Toni is in Paris solely to support the World No. 1 in his quest for an 11th championship at the event. He was in the stands for his nephew's first three matches at Roland Garros, including the Spaniard's 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Richard Gasquet on Saturday.

"This new phase of my career is completely different," Toni told ATPWorldTour.com moments after attending Rafa's practice session with current coach Carlos Moya on Court 24. Also present at the workout session was retired player Carlos Costa, who acts as Rafael's agent, and physiotherapist Rafael Maymo. "Before, I'd be coaching Rafa during his practices but I'm as a visitor, and only for a few days.
You May Also Like: Moya's Takeaways After Nadal's R3 Victory

This is the first time since 2005 that Toni isn't serving as coach to his nephew at Roland Garros. Rafael captured his first of 10 titles at Roland Garros that year. Toni has fond memories of both his coaching duties and the success Rafael achieved at the Grand Slam.
"I loved coming here to Roland Garros, as well as other cities like Monte Carlo and Barcelona," Toni said. "It felt so good to be a part of something that made history [Nadal became the first player to win 10 titles at the same Grand Slam event]. I'm no longer on the road as much since I turned over coaching duties, but life at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar keeps life interesting."

Although he might not be on site at events nearly as often, Toni still closely follows what happens on the ATP World Tour.

"I'd say, besides Rafa, the most serious contenders are Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev. The usual suspects," Toni said of the favourites at Roland Garros. "And I'd throw Juan Martin del Potro into that group as well."

Of that list, it's the seventh-seeded Thiem who stands out in bold letters to Toni, considering his success on clay. The Austrian was 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 winner over Kei Nishikori on Sunday and will face No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. Thiem defeated Rafael in the quarter-finals at the Internazionali BNL id'Italia in 2017 and in the quarter-finals at the Mutua Madrid Open this year.

"Dominic is the only player who has managed to beat Rafa in the past two years on clay," Toni said. "He's a complete player with no glaring weaknesses and is tough to defeat."

So is Thiem the clay-court heir to Nadal's throne?

"Dominic adapts well to clay, but the reality is you have to play well against all competition and on all surfaces. Rafa is much more than [just a clay-court expert]," Toni explained. "There are so many emerging talents right now in the game."

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ton ... 018-sunday

[Żilu]

[Damian]

Wczoraj Rafa świętował urodziny, dzisiaj kolejna okazja - 900 wygrany mecz na poziomie ATP.

[Lucas]

RG18: Rafa dogonił Lendla.

34. wielkoszlemowy ćwierćfinał Hiszpana.


Telegraph

1. Roger Federer 52
2. Jimmy Connors, Novak Djoković 41
4. Andre Agassi 37
5. Ivan Lendl, Rafael Nadal 34
7. Andy Murray 30

[Lleyton]

[DUN I LOVE]

Rafafani, śpicie czy co? 900 wygranych meczów w kieszeni, a tu cisza?

[Damian]

Wczoraj Rafa świętował urodziny, dzisiaj kolejna okazja - 900 wygrany mecz na poziomie ATP.

Cały czas czuwamy.

[DUN I LOVE]

Rafa dziś poprawił wynik Connors pod względem liczby wygranych gier w WS.

1. Roger Federer (332-52)
2. Novak Djoković (244-40)
3. Rafael Nadal (234-34)
4. Jimmy Connors (233-49)
5. Andre Agassi (224-53)
6. Ivan Lendl (222-49)
7. Pete Sampras (203-38)

[Damian]

Nadal Joins Elite Company With 900th Match Win

Spoiler:

ATPWorldTour.com pays tribute to Nadal's match wins achievement
On the very surface on which his sparkling legacy was founded, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has today recorded the 900th singles match win of his career. The Spaniard, who turned professional in 2001 and continues his quest for a remarkable 11th Roland Garros title this week, is the fifth player in the past 50 years to attain the milestone.
By recording his 83rd clay-court victory in an astonishing 85 matches at the Grand Slam championship, over Germany’s Maximilian Marterer in the fourth round, Nadal has followed in the footsteps of Jimmy Connors (1,056), Roger Federer (1,149), Ivan Lendl (1,068) and Guillermo Vilas (949). Federer also hit 900 match wins at Roland Garros, with a fourth-round win (d. Simon in five sets) on 2 June 2013.
You May Also Like: Nadal Nets 900th Win, Reaches Roland Garros Quarter-finals
OPEN ERA MATCH WINS LEADERS (SINCE APRIL 1968)
Player Career Match Wins (Winning %)
1) Jimmy Connors (USA) 1,256-279 (.818)
2) Roger Federer (SUI) 1,149-252 (.820)
3) Ivan Lendl (CZE/USA) 1,068-242 (.815)
4) Guillermo Vilas (ARG) 949-291 (.766)
5) Rafael Nadal (ESP) 900-187 (.828)
MATCH WINS RECORD ON 900TH VICTORY
Player Career Match Wins (Winning %)
Jimmy Connors (USA) 900-144 (.862)
Ivan Lendl (CZE/USA) 900-156 (.852)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) 900-187 (.829)
Roger Federer (SUI) 900-204 (.815)
Guillermo Vilas (ARG) 900-243 (.787)
While 40 of Nadal’s 78 career trophies have been captured at just four clay-court tournaments — 11 at both the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell; 10 at Roland Garros and eight at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia — the Spaniard is the only player in the Open Era to have won 400 matches on both red dirt (412-36, .919) and hard courts (425-127, .770), according to the FedEx ATP Performance Zone.
So it is wrong for the icon of the sport, who also has the best match winning percentage (900-187, .828) of the five members of the ‘900 Match Wins Club’, to be solely defined by his clay-court prowess.
NADAL'S CAREER MATCH RECORD BY SURFACE
Surface Career Match Wins (Winning %)
Hard 425-127 (.770)
Clay 412-36 (.920)
Grass 61-18 (.772)
Carpet 2-6 (.250)
Just one day after celebrating his 32nd birthday (3 June), with sporting immortality already assured, Nadal remains dedicated and committed to working hard and improving. He is humble, too, of his achievements that include six different stints over 10 years at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, which he first attained on 18 August 2008; 16 Grand Slam championships, and a record 32 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns.
Nadal has lived all of his tennis life in the spotlight, omnipresent in the Top 10 for more than 13 straight years — ever since 25 April 2005, when he was 18. The Mallorcan has regularly silenced the critics, who, early on, feared that his physical and aggressive game would significantly shorten his career. He has also returned to peak form time and again, and been a great source of inspiration to others who have also suffered serious injuries.
As 2018 Roland Garros hits the business end of the competition, Nadal’s focus will not yet shift to the match wins mark of Vilas, the tenacious and hard-working Argentine. Vilas won 678 of his 949 career matches on red dirt — amassing 49 titles and a 53-match winning streak on the surface (both records, at the time). Nadal holds three clay records - 56 crowns, 81 straight victories between 12 April 2005 and 20 May 2007, and 50 straight sets from 15 May 2017 to 11 May 2018.
While Vilas’ surface record may prove to be unattainable, Nadal will surely move into fourth position in the Open Era match wins leaders next year and begin his countdown to 1,000 match wins.
NADAL'S MILESTONE MATCH WINS
Milestone Win No. of Matches W-L Record
100 137 100-37
200 255 200-55
300 373 300-73
400 491 400-91
500 605 500-105
600 723 600-123
700 836 700-136
800 968 800-168
900 1,087 900-187
Special statistical assistance courtesy of Graham Edgar and Greg Sharko.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... ns-tribute

[Damian]

Newsflash: Nadal Says He Was Not Born On Clay

Spoiler:

The World No. 1 is into the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the 12th time
Rafael Nadal made a shocking revelation on Monday at Roland Garros after defeating Maximilian Marterer to advance to his 12th quarter-final on the Parisian terre battue.
“It’s not true that I was born on clay,” Nadal said, eliciting laughter in the press room.
With that being said, the 10-time champion was not completely joking.
“Everybody thought I practised on clay all my life, and it’s not true. I practiced a lot on hard court when I was a kid. I practised on clay, too, but a lot on hard,” Nadal said. “During all my career, my game adapted very well to this surface and I've had amazing success. Honestly, I had success on all the surfaces and I worked hard to be the best player possible on all the surfaces.”
In fact, Nadal has won 22 tour-level titles on hard courts and grass courts combined. Only four other active players have lifted more than 22 trophies on all surfaces.
But with that being said, Nadal has certainly made his mark on the red dirt. The 32-year-old’s 12 Roland Garros quarter-finals are tied with Novak Djokovic for the most in the tournament’s history. And Nadal’s list of records on the surface are seemingly endless: 10 Coupes des Mousquetaires, 11 triumphs in Monte-Carlo, 11 titles in Barcelona, and much more.
But Nadal is not focused on those victories, or more history that he might write in the future. All that concerns the Spaniard is the present.
“My big test is every day. Today was an important test. I am in the quarter-finals. And the biggest test now is the next round,” Nadal said. “I go day by day, and I am not worried about if I had a test or if I didn't have a test. I just worry about trying to be at my 100 per cent for the next day that I have to play. That's my goal.
“I know if I make that happen, if I'm able to play with my highest intensity and with the right level, it will be always a tough match, but I really believe that I can have my chances to keep going.”
Nadal is the only player remaining in the draw who has not dropped a set at Roland Garros. That’s not all that surprising, considering the left-hander won 50 consecutive sets on clay — a record for a single surface — from his visit to Paris last year until this season’s Madrid quarter-finals. So while it might seem that there is not much to polish up, the top seed says that he is always working on his game.
“Some days you feel that some things have been better; some days you feel that some things have been worse. So you need to every day try to work on the things that you believe that you can improve more,” Nadal said. “But not because I am in quarter-finals or in second round. No, no, I just work every day with the goal to be better for tomorrow.”
To Nadal, there’s no big secret as to why that is the case. But he knows that every match is a new opportunity.
“You go on court. You can win, you can lose,” Nadal said. “That's the only thing that you need to be ready for.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nad ... y-reaction

[Damian]

[arti]

[robpal]

[arti]

[Damian]

900 zwycięstw Rafaela Nadala. Hiszpan wyjawił, które triumfy uznaje za wyjątkowe

Spoiler:

Pokonując Maximiliana Marterera w IV rundzie Roland Garros 2018, Rafael Nadal nie tylko awansował do ćwierćfinału turnieju w Paryżu, ale i wygrał 900. w karierze mecz w głównym cyklu. Z tej okazji wspominał wszystkie swoje najważniejsze zwycięstwa.
REKLAMA
Mundial 2018: newsy, wideo, zdjęcia, ciekawostki, quizy i wiele więcej. Sprawdź serwis na MŚ!




Roland Garros: spóźniony prezent na urodziny. Rafael Nadal w ćwierćfinale
W IV rundzie Roland Garros 2018 Rafael Nadal pokonał 6:3, 6:2, 7:6(4) Maximiliana Marterera. - To był ważny test, po którym mam pozytywne odczucia. Pierwsze dwa sety w moim wykonaniu były bardzo dobre. Na początku trzeciej partii miałem szansę i gdybym ją wykorzystał, prawdopodobnie rozstrzygnąłbym losy meczu. Ale tego nie zrobiłem, a następnie popełniłem kilka błędów przy własnym podaniu. Przestałem grać tak agresywnie, jak w początkowej fazie, i przez to mecz stał się bardzo wyrównany - mówił na konferencji prasowej.
Hiszpan docenił postawę Niemca, dla którego był to debiut na poziomie 1/8 finału turnieju Wielkiego Szlema. - To dobry tenisista. Miło jest widzieć w rozgrywkach nowych graczy. Miał świetny turniej. Ja odniosłem ważne zwycięstwo, a dla niego z pewnością to było wielkie wielkie wydarzenie i wspaniałe doświadczenie. Życzę mu powodzenia w przyszłości.

REKLAMA

Wygrywając w poniedziałek, tenisista z Majorki sprawił sobie spóźniony prezent na 32. urodziny, które obchodził w niedzielę. - Nie czuję się stary - powiedział z uśmiechem. - Jestem w rozgrywkach od 2003 roku, a to oznacza, że mam długą karierę i wciąż chcę ją kontynuować.

Pokonując Marterera, Nadal po raz 12. znalazł się w 1/4 finału Rolanda Garrosa. Wyrównał tym samym ustanowione w niedzielę rekordowe osiągnięcie Novaka Djokovicia. Zanotował też 83. wygrany mecz w Paryżu (to rekord) oraz stał się piątym tenisistą w erze zawodowego tenisa z 900 zwycięskimi spotkaniami w głównym cyklu.

Tenisiści, którzy w erze zawodowego tenisa wygrali co najmniej 900 meczów w głównym cyklu:

Miejsce Tenisista (Narodowość) Liczba zwycięstw
1. Jimmy Connors (USA) 1256
2. Roger Federer (Szwajcaria) 1149
3. Ivan Lendl (Czechosłowacja/USA) 1068
4. Guillermo Vilas (Argentyna) 929
5. Rafael Nadal (Hiszpania) 900

Zapytany o najpiękniejsze z tych 900. zwycięstw, nie potrafił wybrać jednego: - Wyjątkowym momentem był dla mnie triumf w Pucharze Davisa. Ale także zwycięstwa w finałach w Rzymie i w Wimbledonie w 2008 roku, w Australian Open 2009, Roland Garros 2010 i US Open 2010 oraz 2013. Szczególny był też zeszłoroczny triumf w Paryżu - wymieniał.
W ćwierćfinale, w środę, Hiszpan zmierzy się z Diego Schwartzmanem, z którym ma bilans 5-0, w tym 3-0 na kortach ziemnych. - On zajmuje 12. miejsce w rankingu i w tym momencie jest jednym z najlepszych tenisistów w rozgrywkach. To bardzo trudny rywal, który zawsze ciężko pracuję. To miło zobaczyć go w ćwierćfinale - ocenił Rafa.

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/75872 ... -wyjatkowe

[Damian]

Moya's Takeaways After Nadal's R4 Victory

Spoiler:

Top seed's coach analyses Rafa's fourth-round victory over Marterer
Carlos Moya, coach of World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, is breaking down the Spaniard's performances at Roland Garros for ATPWorldTour.com. Nadal is pursuing his 11th trophy on the Parisian terre battue.
On Monday, the defending champion defeated Germany’s Maximilian Marterer, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(4) to advance to the quarter-finals, where he'll face 11th seed Diego Schwartzman for a place in the last four. Moya lists five key takeaways from Nadal’s win over Marterer.
You May Also Like: Nadal Nets 900th Win, Reaches Roland Garros Quarter-finals
Caught Flat-footed ...
There was no excuse for Rafa to go down 0-2 at the beginning of the match. We were kind of rushed because the previous match on Court Philippe-Chatrier ended a little earlier than expected. Rafa was grabbing something to eat when we got the message [that it was time to get ready]. Still, it's not an excuse, because these things happen and you have to be ready for the unexpected.
Caught Off Guard?
Marterer was on a hot streak going into this match and we knew it was going to be a tough outing. He’s a lefty, he’s aggressive and he poses problems to anyone he faces. Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect and that element of surprise kept us in the dark as to what we were up against.
A Dip In Intensity
When Rafa was in the zone, he was in control. When he lost focus, his game suffered. That was apparent in the third set, when Marterer pushed him into a tie-break. What matters, though, is that he came through and managed to move on in three sets.
Nadal Shined For A Stretch
When Rafa is firing on all cylinders, he's at his best. From that point when he was down 0-2 in the first set through to the end of the second set, he was at his finest. Rafa was attacking the net, he was aggressive ... his game was complete. That's the best I've seen of Rafa so far.
And Now, The Diego Schwartzman Showdown
Diego is super-quick around the court and he's extremely talented. Even though he lost, he showed his toughness against Rafa at the Australian Open and at the Mutua Madrid Open earlier this year. Rafa will have to be on top of his game because there's no room for error at this stage. But I know Rafa, and I'm sure he'll be bringing his best against Diego.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/moy ... 018-monday

[arti]

How Uncle Toni's Tough Love Shaped Rafa

Spoiler:

“&*#!!” curses Toni Nadal.

Interrupt Toni when he is in task mode and the oaths fly out of his mouth like hot sparks from a blacksmith’s anvil. It is important to understand that Toni does not curse casually, nor as a form of insult, rather of exasperation.

In this particular case, it is the frustration of being delayed and quite possibly missing a flight from Palma de Mallorca to Madrid. We are at the entrance of the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Manacor, and the airport is nearly an hour’s drive away. I am but one of a handful of obstacles keeping Toni from getting to the airport on time.

Standing aside, I watch Toni multi-task. He answers phone calls, signs papers, buttons his dress shirt, ties his leather shoes, and wrestles my oversize travel bag into the back of his two-door Mercedes SLC Roadster. Eventually, the retractable hardtop comes down, my bag goes in and we are ready to go. I briefly consider suggesting a hands-free apparatus for his phone, but then I realise that Toni Nadal is anything but hands-free.

Finally we are on our way. Toni looks at his watch and utters one last ‘&*#!!’. But this curse is different, a bit softer, more of a slow, drawn out sigh of relief. Leaving the academy, Toni drives through a mix of newly paved roads, narrow cobblestone alleys and a couple of roundabouts that he accelerates out of with the grace, speed, and confidence one would expect from Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso. As if on cue, the phone finally stops ringing just as Toni hits the Ma-15 highway.



You May Also Like: Toni Nadal: "To Win 16 Grand Slams Is Incredible"


“One time I have a big discussion with Pato Clavet,” Toni begins. “Pato believes it is his job to make sure his player has everything in order to play his best; racquets perfect, water, balls, and like this. And I say, ‘this is not my opinion.’ If Rafa forgets his water, I say, ‘Well, it is your problem, today you don’t drink water.’ My work is not to bring water. Do you want to be a professional coach or a waiter?”

Our route to the airport takes us through the heart of Mallorca, where windmills that used to grind grain and pump water cast long shadows over fields that produce almond, fig and olive trees in great abundance. Restaurants fortified with heavy brick barbeque grills and wood-fired ovens look like they were built to feed legions of Roman soldiers. Meals are peasant food soaked in olive oil and portions are big enough to last for days. While Barcelona may very well be the cradle of Spanish tennis, it is here on the island of Mallorca, part of Spain’s autonomous zone, that lie the clues to how the world’s most successful tennis coach was formed.

“The relationship between player and coach is very important,” Toni continues as if some subterranean fire has been stoked inside of him. “Also it is the education that the player gets at home. My family formed my character. My father did not talk too much, but you see what he has done and I learned my character from his example.”

There can be no doubt where Toni Nadal’s demarcation line is drawn: respect for people.

“In this life, respect is very important as it should come from the younger to the older persons,” Toni says. “Not the other way around. Unbelievable the way the young today behave not showing respect. &*#!!!”

Like the great Carthaginian General Hannibal, who was born here in the Balearic Islands, Toni commands by both example and charisma. Just as Hannibal was fueled by a single-minded purpose in defeating Rome, so too has been Toni’s intense focus on forming his nephew.

Nadal

With each military victory, Hannibal’s legend grew, and so too did Toni Nadal’s opinions gain merit with every Grand Slam Rafa won. While the amount of trophies they have collected together is impressive, equally so is that neither Toni nor Rafa fell victim to a trap as old as time. A trap that has tripped many a successful man – hubris.

“What I remember most about Toni from my time on Tour was how kind he was to people,” remembers Peter Lundgren, former coach of Roger Federer and other ATP World Tour stars. ”He was always very polite.”

Juan Manual Esparcia of Spain, another ATP World Tour coach, has observed Toni and Rafa rise to greatness from the beginning.

“Toni puts great emphasis on the education of strong values,” says Esparcia. “Rafa’s attitude to overcome the many adversities he has had to face and doing so in the most gracious manner, the example that Rafa Nadal gives to everyone every day, not only as a professional, but as a person, has Toni’s philosophy written all over it.”

Jack Reader, former coach of Viktor Troicki and Alexandr Dolgolopov, echoes a similar opinion.

“We often practised with Rafa,” says Reader. “And I never once saw Toni say something to Rafa that Rafa did not immediately acknowledge. I don’t know what Toni would say, but I do know that from the outside theirs seemed a relationship built on absolute respect and trust.”

Toni recalls: “I have said to Rafa, 'In my opinion you have to do this, but make what you want'... Do you think that I like to see my nephew’s forehand follow-through wrapping his racquet around his head? Many times I say to him about the biomechanics and physics of a tennis stroke. If you want to put the ball there, then the arm goes here. But make what you want; it is your problem. It is your responsibility.”

At heart Toni is a professor. And like any good teacher, he is an astute student. However, his form of communicating is not for the sensitive type.

“Normally when you are not stupid you can learn,” Toni declares. “I have watched the greatest players in the world on the practice court and in competition. In this life, when you know that you are not the best and if you want to defeat the best you must be open to new ideas and keep learning to improve.”

A good example is Rafa changing his service grip two days before the start of the 2010 US Open. And then another change to the serve came before the 2016 US Open, where they experimented with more slice and angle. That being said, if after consideration Toni does not agree with something, then you will know it immediately.

“I talk always about to make the things simple,” Toni says. “Today we have a problem that society believes if it is too simple, then it is difficult to earn too much money. I have seen many people talk about analytics. And they forgot to see how is the player with the ball? What is most important is to arrive good to the ball, follow through and have good movements around the court.”

“It is true when you have more information, it is good, but information without the eyes and feeling of the coach is not enough. Many times you cannot see the things that analysts write. For example, the statistics say that you make 10 unforced errors with your backhand today. But maybe that is because your forehand is not right in this moment. A good coach needs to observe with his eyes on the situation, not just numbers on a paper.”

Agree or disagree with Toni, he is very consistent on the subject of eliminating excuses.

“I was disappointed at Wimbledon in 2013,” Toni admits. “My nephew lost to Steve Darcis. Rafa says to me that he can do nothing as he has knee problems. I say, ‘No, I don’t agree. If this match was in the final would you play like this?’ After many years I know it is impossible to win always – it is a part of the game – but let us speak the truth.”

Esparcia says, “I think Toni’s best quality and strength is knowing to analyse the needs in each situation in order to reach the next goal... To give Rafa the right solution at specifically the right moment, and to find the way to motivate him, regardless of the circumstances he might be facing.”

“Another time, in 2006 at the US Open,” Toni remembers, “and my nephew is complaining about the balls, that he cannot give them spin. Every day he is telling me the same. And so I say to Rafael, “OK, I go to the tournament director and see if he can change the balls for you.’ Then Rafael lost to James Blake. I go home to Mallorca and he went to Beijing and wins the tournament with the same balls he lost to Blake. So I ask him how the balls can take your spin in Beijing but not New York?”

There can be no better proof positive of the Pygmalion effect theory than Toni and Rafael Nadal.

“I remember once we were in Barcelona at Carlos Moya’s house,” Toni recalls. “Rafa was 15 or maybe 16, and Carlos says to me, ‘Toni, would you sign your name that in the future that Rafael will be good like Alberto Costa?’ And I say, ‘No, I don’t sign because I believe that Rafael will be better.’ And Carlos Moya was a little surprised. Because immediately he says, ‘Do you sign that in the future Rafael will be like Carlos Moya?’ And I say, ‘OK, yes, because you were No. 1 in the world.’ But I did not sign anything. When I went out of the house with my nephew that night I said to Rafael, ‘You can be better than Carlos Moya, but I do not want to show disrespect to him in his house.’ I knew my nephew was special.”

“For me was always too important to form the player,” Toni continues. “I was always happy when we were on the court and I was able to construct his game.”

Jose Perlas is one of the ATP World Tour’s most recognised coaches. There is not much in professional tennis, Spain or worldwide, that he has not seen.

“In some ways it was a perfect storm,” begins Perlas. “The Nadal family had experience of being athletes at the highest level of sport. Toni knew what it took to be good, and he also knew how much work it took to sustain that level. He was a tennis coach who had very strong opinions and he spoke with great conviction. Then Rafa had all the physical and mental gifts of an exceptional athlete, and the intense hunger to be great. Toni was an extremely dedicated professional coach who understood how to use his authority while assembling a team of experts around Rafa.”

As we enter the airport a journalist and camera crew are assembled and waiting on Toni to arrive. Though Toni may not be on the ATP World Tour any more, he is still in demand. When your pupil has 16 Grand Slams and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of tennis, your opinions matter.

Quite possibly, Toni might be the last of the breed. That species of tennis coach who commands from the frontline while saying what needs to be said without fear of retribution. The coach of yesteryear who demands hard work every day, a good attitude, respect for the game and those people associated with it. And no matter how great the stakes or painful the loss, refuses to make excuses while offering a simple no-frills match analysis. My guess is that Harry Hopman would certainly approve of Toni Nadal.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ton ... -june-2018

[Damian]

[Barty]

[Damian]