"He should play one-handed": Boris Becker's surprising prediction about the young Nadal

Boris Becker revealed a little-known anecdote linking his past to that of a very young Rafael Nadal.

AFP

Arthur Millot

le 04/12/2025 à 14h28

1 min to read

Becker Nadal

A meeting under the Mallorcan sun

Guest on the Spanish show La Revuelta, hosted by David Broncano, Boris Becker shared a memory with the young Rafael Nadal.

The German recounts that he once owned a summer house in Manacor, literally next door to the Nadal family's.

It was there that Becker discovered a 14-year-old teenager whose determination was already evident: Rafael Nadal.

The intriguing advice: "He should play one-handed"

Becker recalls discussing tennis with Toni Nadal, the player's uncle and historic mentor.

And it was at that precise moment that he slipped in a remark that, in hindsight, takes on a special flavor:

"He was playing with two hands, on both sides. I told Toni that it wasn't a good idea, I told him he should play one-handed on the forehand."

The comment, innocuous at the time, appears almost prophetic today because Nadal would eventually become one of the most feared left-handers in history.