"I was particularly obsessed with Rafael," Toni Nadal's analysis of high-level coaching
As his nephew's coach for most of his career, Toni Nadal left his mark on coaching with his rigor and perfectionism. These were fundamental values for him, and they propelled Rafael to the rank of world number one and record holder for titles at Roland-Garros.
In an interview shared by Tennis World Italia, the 64-year-old reflected on his collaboration with the Spaniard, revealing the key ingredient he believes is essential for a high-level coach:
"To be a good coach, you have to work hard—that’s the most important thing. You excel when you’re fully immersed in what you do, when you’re obsessed. I was particularly obsessed with Rafael Nadal; I tried to make him very good.
This led me to constantly seek solutions, to find the best strategy. Now, at my age, what I think I can offer is simple tennis advice."
For context, Toni Nadal recognized young Rafael's talent as early as age 3, before fully taking him under his wing at 12. Now retired, the left-handed Majorcan ended his career with 22 Grand Slam titles and 36 Masters 1000 titles.
