Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Nadal won 14 of his 20 Grand Slam titles under Toni, who now works as the primary coach at the Spaniards academy in Majorca. Toni Nadal will stop coaching his nephew and 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal from 2018, ending one of sport's longest and most successful player-coach relationships. Nick Kyrgios has copped yet another blow, as his horror start to the season has taken another brutal twist all before hes stepped on the court. In 2016, Toni stepped away from the tour to work as the main coach at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Before the match, Toni said he wanted Nadal to win because the French Open meant so much to him, comments which raised a few eyebrows. 22 Felix Auger-Aliassime. Earlier this year, Toni announced a comeback on the Tour, joining Felix Auger-Aliassimes coaching staff. In 2010, Nadal became only the second man after Andre Agassi to complete the career Golden Slam of all four major tennis tournaments and Olympic gold when he won his first US Open. Watch this story:No One Would Write About Them- Venus and Serena Williams Father King Richard Once Narrated How WTA Players Constantly Drag Him Through the Mud to Be in the News. However, the time for evaluations is very tight and the first dates on the red floor. Toni Nadal, who is the former mentor and uncle of the King of Clay admitted of coaching the Spaniard during the high-octane clash. But from 2018, one of the most successful player-coach partnerships in the game will become a rarer sight as Toni Nadal has decided to stop accompanying his nephew to tournaments. If instead of my nephew, I had coached somebody else, I would have stepped down much earlier.. Toni Nadal has coached his nephew Rafael since he was a teenager but is now ready to relinquish his job after nearly two decades of involvement. Nadal revealed that despite the fact that he and Federer get along very well, they are not tell-each-other-everything kind of friends. Having been written off by many after an injury-plagued 2016, Nadal reached the final of last months Australian Open, where he lost to his long-time rival Roger Federer. But I believe that everyone can be better than he is, always. The rest is pretty much history, and Rafa stands among the best players of all time after adding 20 Majors and 35 Masters 1000 trophies to his collection. Two weeks after watching his nephew lose in five sets to Roger Federer in the Australian Open final, Toni Nadal told Il Tennis Italiano website that after this season he wants to concentrate on training emerging players. This time, the senior Nadal will take over the coaching duties for World No. 3 in doubles and won 14 tour-level titles in the discipline, used his protected ranking to enter 12 tournaments in 2021, although it was not as successful as he . Tennis News Rafael Nadal In a recent interview, Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, commented on when in 2017 he decided to split with his nephew in order to focus on his job as head director at the. He cited that he was no longer a part of Nadals decision-making which led to their separation. Your email address will not be published. Nadal hasn't thrown a racquet despite spending three decades on the tennis court, learning how to channel his frustration and turn it into his strength. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Rafael Nadal shed some light on his relationship with Roger Federer during a recent conversation with Santander, one of his sponsors. Earlier this month Nadal's uncle Toni his longtime coach of more than two decades announced he would no longer be part of the Spaniard's team in 2018. Its the right time to do it. His uncle, Toni Nadal, recognized his tennis skills and began training him. Nadal split with Uncle Toni five years. I did not consider the possibility of training another player. Toni Nadal, who is 57 years old and has three young children, is the director of the Rafa Nadal Tennis Aacademy, which opened last fall on the Spanish island of Mallorca. pic.twitter.com/WP9eq5rAxH. There is no split, no rupture, Perez-Barbadillo said. We use cookies to optimize our website and to measure our audience. You cant find excuses.. I trust them a lot. MADRID (Reuters) - Rafael Nadals uncle, Toni Nadal, will step down as his coach after this years ATP Tour, as he feels he has been sidelined by other figures in the players entourage, he told an Italian tennis magazine. 1 some day. Editor's Picks Former British No. He coached his nephew from a young boy through most of his Grand Slam wins before taking a step back. 2. In his autobiography, Nadal talked about the contribution of his uncle and father to his success. The 22-time Grand Slam champion turned pro in 2001. The Catalonian, who peaked at World No. Toni later said he regretted keeping the news from his nephew. I do not want to give lessons to anyone. "I travelled with Rafa for many years, now I want to deal with the training of the young people and our academy is the ideal place.". Nadal said he would sit down with Moya and assistant coach Francis Roig when the time came to make any decisions about what path the team will take in Tonis absence. If instead of my nephew, I had coached somebody else, I would have stepped down much earlier.. But I like to teach children, like now in Manacor, because I have the feeling that I can give them more than my nephew," Toni Nadal said. I have been thinking this thoroughly, he said at the time. As he proclaimed when he was seven years old, Novak Djokovic became No Heather Watson beat Danka Kovinic 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Monday night. "He wants. "I have been having the same team since I was 15 years old," Nadal said. "Uncle Toni left because he was tired of traveling." However, the difficulties of the last few weeks could perhaps delay his return, for example. "We're calling you to announce that I'll be working with Toni Nadal, starting from this tournament [Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters]," revealed the Canadian before . Rafael Nadal lifting the 2010 US Open trophy. 2023 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Why did Toni Nadal stop coaching? Late in September, Carlos Moy called Marc Lpez to enquire about his situation. "We are not close friends; I would not tell him that my knee hurts before facing him. He has been with me for a lifetime and the relationship with him has been a little bit more special than the one I have with my other uncles because I have lived everyday with him and I am very grateful to him for all the things he did for me.. Its one of the most familiar scenes in tennis Uncle Toni rising from his seat to cheer on Rafael Nadal. ardent follower of Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his never-say-die attitude. Rafael Nadal, though, has explained it was Toni's decision to break their coaching partnership, not him. He runs better, he hits better, more decisively. The partnership between Rafael and Toni began in the town of Manacor, Mallorca when the now 30-year-old Rafael was just four. It has been a very long journey, loads of seasons. Nadal Jr opened an academy in his native Mallorca last year in a ceremony which featured long-term rival Roger Federer. Speaking about his nephew, Toni said he decided to quit after sensing he couldn't do anything more for Rafa's game. But we can call each other anytime and speak about anything. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Please empty this comment field to prove you're human. Its all very natural and organic.. And Nadal Sr has revealed that his increasingly minimal role in decision-making convinced him to make the switch. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. Express. Following the Roland Garros title in 2017, Nadal has never left the top-2, proving his greatness year after year and standing strong in the GOAT race against Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadals uncle Toni his longtime coach of more than two decades announced he would no longer be part of the Spaniards team in 2018, the 14-time major winner was one of the last people to find out about his uncles career shift, Never: Novak shatters unthinkable record, Rich List: Lucrative deals help Aussie women cash in. Indeed, Nadal, 61, has revealed he told the young star that we would stop working with him if he didn't accept that his family loyalty came first: "I had a deal with Felix in which I wouldn't. Nadal is present for two Grand Slams each year. As a kid, Rafael Nadal was fond of sports. In his autobiography, Rafa: My Story, the former World Number 1, has revealed that his uncle never received any paychecks from him for his coaching services. With a Bachelor's degree in Rafa, along with his uncle, worked hard to build a successful tennis career. Toni Nadal, the man who masterminded nephew Rafa's incredible career, is returning to the Tour as part of the coaching team of Canadian youngster Felix Auger-Aliassime. Not really. It has now come to light that Toni was monitoring Auger-Aliassime's game and personality before making a decision on the coaching role offered to him by the 20-year-old. But why did they stop training together? Toni Nadal didn't sit in Auger-Aliassime's box and he made it pretty clear he was rooting for his nephew to win. Rafael Nadal and Felix Auger-Aliassime could theoretically cross paths as early as the upcoming Monte Carlo Masters, where they are both entered in the draw. I am comfortable with what he decides is best for him. Uncle Toni confirmed that he will coach the young Canadian and he explained the reasons: "When I received the offer from him, I told him to come to the Academy for 10 days to see if what I could serve him or not. In April, 2021, Nadal began a coaching relationship with Canadian player, Felix Auger-Aliassime. From next year I will no longer follow Rafael on the circuit but will dedicate myself exclusively to our academy, he said, referring to the Rafa Nadal Academy which opened last October in Mallorca. I do not understand that in life you can keep doing the same both in a good and bad way." Tennishead.net is now the world's most visited tennis news website, Tennishead magazine is the world's favourite tennis publication and the Tennishead CLUB is our ground breaking virtual tennis community. Rafaels old friend and former Roland Garros winner Carlos Moya and former tennis pro Francisco Roig will take the reins full time, with Toni available if needed. Did you encounter any technical issues? "I want to take care of the formation of young talents, which is the most important moment in a tennis players growth. When I left for Melbourne I did not tell Rafael, but I said goodbye to everyone because I knew it would be the last time I would go there: the driver, the person who looks after us, the director of the tournament . The job of a trainer is to make yourself dispensable; I think I did it. With Nadal experiencing unprecedented success under the aegis of his uncle, Toni Nadal, do you think another player-coach duo can emulate their success on the tour in the future? Although Toni has decided not to travel with Rafael full-time from next year, he will make himself available whenever his nephew needs him, Perez-Barbadillo said. Young talents, which is the most important moment in a ceremony which featured long-term rival Roger.. A very long journey, loads of seasons Nadal Jr opened an Academy his. 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