Toni Nadal is one of tennis’ most outspoken individuals, whether he is actively coaching a player or not.
And, given the success he led his nephew to, he is well placed to deliver his opinion on the sport.
Rafael Nadal, under his guidance, developed into one of the sport’s most iconic and successful figures.
However, last year saw him call time on his glittering career, as he emotionally bid farewell to tennis.
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Now, speaking about the 39-year-old, Toni has revealed what his relationship with Rafa is really like.
Toni Nadal reveals what his relationship with Rafa is like after his retirement
Speaking at a recent conference, in comments relayed by Puntodebreak, the legendary Spanish coach was keen to emphasise how much his nephew was enjoying retirement.
However, he did reveal that their relationship was actually different to that of the usual uncle-nephew dynamic, as he claimed: “As a person, Rafael remains the same, continues to do the same things and behave in the same way, although it is true that he is now a father and has other concerns.
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“Personally, I can assure you that nothing has changed after his retirement.
“My relationship with him is more like a friendship than an uncle-nephew relationship. We are a close-knit family; we do many things together, like playing golf or having dinner together. I also often visit his children. We have a normal family relationship.”
In that same conference, Toni Nadal explained why Carlos Alcaraz has an advantage over Rafael Nadal in the race to become one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
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Whilst Rafa only turned professional in 2001, Toni had unsurprisingly been coaching his nephew for over a decade before.
And, he continued to work until 2017, with the player insisting he never fired his uncle, despite their split.
“Uncle Toni left because he was tired of travelling,” Rafa insisted.
However, in reality, there was nothing left for him to win.
He had guided Nadal to 20 of his 22 Grand Slam titles, whilst also helping him win 36 Masters 1000-level events, four Davis Cups and an Olympic gold medal.
Rafa won it all with Toni by his side, and it’s no surprise that their relationship remains as strong as ever.
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