Rafael Nadal’s former coach picks the shot he could have improved in his career and actually found ‘difficult’

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Rafael Nadal enjoyed a legendary tennis career and held the Grand Slam record at one point in time.

The Spanish star broke through to win his first Major title at the French Open in 2005, beating Mariano Puerta in the final, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5.

Nadal won his 22nd and final Grand Slam title 17 years later at Roland Garros, taking down Casper Ruud in straight sets.

Fans around the world enjoyed watching Nadal dominate his opponents on the ATP Tour with his powerful forehand.

However, while the shot may have caused issues for many, his former coach now reveals that the 38-year-old struggled to make one key adjustment to his forehand.

Marc Lopez says Rafael Nadal found it ‘difficult’ to change his forehand technique

Speaking on the Madrid Open’s YouTube channel, Nadal’s friend and former coach Marc Lopez explained what the 22-time Major champion couldn’t adjust to during his career.

“What I saw that Rafa [Nadal] could’ve done better, and I still think so, and in the end, he tried, but it was difficult for him, was the issue of support when he hit to his right,” said Lopez.

“He always felt more comfortable letting the ball fall a little bit more and making his movement from bottom to the top to look for the ball to bounce, always, with his body a little back and his arm.

“I made the joke to him that it seemed like he was smelling his armpit, he always finished the shot like that.”

Lopez tried to change Nadal’s technique, but when push came to shove, the Spaniard reverted to old habits.

“Do you know what happens?” he said.

“I told him, we trained, we did winners with the forehand, he ended up going there, forward, but later in the match, his most natural shot always came out.”

Madrid Open tournament director Feliciano Lopez said that in doing so, Nadal did what any other tennis player would.

“Like everyone else, even Rafael Nadal has what happens to every tennis player, that on the day, when there are nerves, he returns to his usual routine,” he said.

Nadal may have struggled to take on board Marc Lopez’s advice on the forehand, but Feliciano Lopez insists he was one of the sport’s best ‘listeners’.

“It is very difficult to be Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or Roger Federer, and have the ability to listen, like Rafa listened,” he said.

“Because someone tells you something, and you [could] say… ‘But I have achieved everything’.

“But he had the humility to always listen and always wanted to improve.”

Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez won Olympic Gold together in 2016

Lopez joined Nadal’s coaching team in December 2021, and helped guide him to his 21st and 22nd Major titles in 2022.

They had already enjoyed success together, however, winning five doubles titles as a pairing.

Their biggest triumph came in 2016, when they took home Olympic Gold in Rio after several impressive performances.

• 2016 Olympic F – Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal beat Florian Mergea/Horia Tecau, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
• 2016 Olympic SF – Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal beat Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil, 7-6, 7-6
• 2016 Olympic QF – Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal beat Oliver Marach/Alexander Peya, 6-3, 6-1
• 2016 Olympic 2R – Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal beat Juan Martin del Potro/Maximo Gonzalez, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
• 2016 Olympic 1R – Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal beat Robin Haase/Jean-Julien Rojer, 6-4, 6-4

Facing the Romanian pair of Florian Mergea and Horia Tecau in the final, Nadal and Lopez battled through in three sets to clinch Gold.

The result saw Nadal add a second Olympic Gold to his resume, having won the singles tournament in Beijing, eight years earlier.

Lopez was delighted to add another big title to his collection, after winning his sole Grand Slam doubles title alongside Feliciano Lopez at the French Open just a few months earlier.

The Spaniard retired from tennis in 2022 but came out of retirement to play one final match alongside Nadal at the Brisbane International last year.

Nadal and Lopez lost to Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in the first round, 4-6, 4-6, but certainly have their fair share of successful memories to look back upon.