The historic uncle and coach of “Rafa” gave an interview to franceinfo, on the eve of the Davis Cup final phase, where his nephew will bow out, with a legendary record.
He accompanied Rafael Nadal to the top. Toni Nadal was the historic coach of his nephew, “Rafa”, who became one of the greatest tennis players and athletes of all time. The man who was his coach until 2017 was at the forefront of the incredible career of the Spaniard, now 38 years old, and who is preparing to end his career.
Rafael Nadal will put away his rackets after the Davis Cup, the final phase of which begins Tuesday, November 19 in Malaga, Spain. Toni Nadal spoke to franceinfo on Monday, in French, to talk about his memories with the man with 22 Grand Slams, including 14 at Roland-Garros.
franceinfo: What state of mind are you in, are you sad?
Tony Nadal: No, we have been preparing for the whole last month, this moment has arrived. Of course, these are emotional moments, which are not happy because he has loved (tennis) all his life. But I believe we have to thank life for everything we experienced at Roland-Garros. We were lucky to be able to experience this.
Could you imagine Rafael Nadal having such an incredible career?
All my life I thought Rafael would be a very good player. But I never could have thought that he could win 14 times in Paris. It's incredible to win 22 Grand Slams. In 2005, the doctor said that Rafael had a disease in his foot, that with that it is almost impossible to play at a high level (Nadal suffers from Muller-Weiss syndrome, a rare condition that causes pain in his left foot). I never thought he could win all this.
What do you think was Rafael Nadal's strength?
There are many things that make it strong. The first one, I think he has a very good forehand, a very nice backhand and a very nice volley. But he has a very important determination, it is decisive for me. He has an attitude that, many times, makes the difference. He has a very good physique, he can play for hours without problem, he can run and he always has a good recovery. There are a lot of things that make Rafael able to play at a very high level.
What is your best memory in your career?
I have a lot of very good memories. The first Roland-Garros was incredible in 2005. The memory of Wimbledon in 2008 was incredible (Nadal's victory against Federer in the final, a match considered by many to be the greatest in tennis history). But if you ask me my best memories, it's when Rafael was young and we were at our club in Manacor (on the island of Majorca). We were trying to improve the forehand, the backhand, everything to be a very good player. But it's true, I really liked winning at Roland-Garros, Wimbledon or the US Open. But most of all, I loved the work, getting a good workout. That's what I loved.
Is there any regret in Rafael Nadal's career?
Yes, there are a lot of disappointments. I remember when we lost at Roland Garros against (Robin) Soderling (defeat against the Swede in the round of 16 in 2009)it was a big disappointment for us. It was the first defeat at Roland Garros. This is the biggest disappointment for us.
And what is your greatest satisfaction?
It's winning, of course, but not only that. This is also how he wins, with correctness, with great involvement all the time. Winning a match and being a great player is good, but it's not a very important thing. A player must try to do things as best as possible. Of course, winning at Roland-Garros was a great satisfaction. But for me, the most important thing is how Rafael won.
