Rafael Nadal’s former coach reveals the one area they worked on for years to win at Roland Garros

Follow us on Google Discover

Rafael Nadal certainly won’t have it easy if he plans to go out on a high from his beloved French Open.

The Spaniard, who will turn 38 during the tournament, has decided to call it quits on the sport later this year.

He has been handed one of the toughest first round draws, with Nadal coming up against German fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

The Spanish star has already been forced into changing his plans due to the tie, cancelling a practice session with his upcoming opponent.

While he goes into the competitive clash as the underdog given the respective form of both players, the King of Clay cannot be overlooked.

Spin crucial to Rafael Nadal’s French Open success

Nadal’s upbringing in Spain has undoubtedly been key to his success on clay, with the majority of courts in the country made of clay.

But his uncle Toni, who guided him to the first 16 of his 22 Grand Slams, has revealed another major reason behind his success on clay.

“Spin is very important at Roland Garros,” Toni Nadal told BBC Sport. “Rafael moves his wrist very fast to get a lot of spin – we worked on that from a young age.

“To play flat is more difficult and Rafael has incredible feeling in his hands.”

Will Alexander Zverev go all the way at Roland Garros?

As mentioned, Zverev is the favourite to triumph against Nadal, but having just won the Italian Open, the German is expected to go very far in France.

The 27-year-old clinched his second title in Rome earlier this month, taking his figures to 28 wins and nine losses this season in the process.

But the usual suspects will also be there with him, particularly Novak Djokovic, who faces French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert in round one.

The Serbian is yet to win a title this season, with 12 wins and five losses so far, but he is into the last four of the Geneva Open in preparation for France.

It is just the second time this season that the iconic figures of Djokovic and Nadal will compete in the same tournament, with The Tennis Gazette plotting their potential pathways should they go all the way.