Toni Nadal has been the most influential person in Rafael Nadal’s life. Toni has been training Nadal since he was three years old and was his coach until 2016. While coaching his nephew, he saw the rise of one of the greatest tennis players ever. The Spaniard’s clay court dominance has never been matched, and his playing style from his teenage years to the present has earned praise.
Toni had recognized Novak Djokovic as a threat at the 2005 Wimbledon, he realized that the then 18-year-old would make it big and told Nadal that they have a problem. Djokovic surpassed Nadal’s record at the French Open this year by winning his 23rd Grand Slam and is now chasing his 24th at Wimbledon. Toni has said that Djokovic is not as important as Federer and Nadal in tennis.
Toni Nadal’s day routine: pic.twitter.com/RQ7jiggroV
— . (@cestlaviemacher) July 10, 2023
In a recent interview, Toni said, “I think Federer and Nadal have transcended their sport more than Djokovic. And Federer has transcended more into his sport than anyone.” (via Clay).
Federer is now retired and Nadal is also out with an injury. Djokovic’s influence over the sport and his breakthrough since 2008 deserve no explanation. The Serbian without any doubt is one of the greatest players in the sport along with Federer and Nadal. Djokovic’s Grand Slam victories pushed the limits of tennis and inspired fellow players to achieve more on the court.
Toni attributes Djokovic’s success over Rafael Nadal to injuries and hard courts
When Toni Nadal was asked about Juan Monaco’s opinion regarding Federer and Nadal being more important than Djokovic in tennis. He replied, “I think the one who has managed to play at a better level and do more difficult things is Federer, the one who has won the most is Djokovic and if we told Rafael everything he hasn’t played due to injury, he probably would have won more than the others.”
Toni has also mentioned that most of the matches on tour happen to be on hard courts. Nadal has struggled to match the greatness of Djokovic on hardcourts but things would have been different if clay-court matches were more prevalent. The 62-year-old also mentioned that his nephew would have won more Grand Slams but his injuries have prevented him from doing so.
Toni also said that Nadal would be back to training in August as he still has the determination to play. The possible retirement in 2024 will depend on how hard he plays next season. Playing along with people half your age does have an impact. For now, we can expect Nadal to make his way back onto the court and continue the race with Djokovic.