
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has made a shocking revelation about his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal. Rafa, who split with Toni at the end of 2016, claimed that Toni was really harsh on him when he was a youngster coming up on the horizon.
Toni guided Rafa to 14 Grand Slam titles before passing on the baton to former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who is currently mentoring the reigning French and US Open champion. The 16-time Major winner spoke at length about his relationship with uncle Toni, describing their many ups and downs together.
Rafa said: “We’ve always enjoyed a good relationship. My uncle is a very sensitive person but at the same time with a very strong character. The truth is he was a lot tougher on me when I was younger than later in my career. He has always been someone who has followed his own path and his own way of doing things. He isn’t one to dish out praise for nothing. He isn’t going to tell you that you’re playing well if you’re not and although sometimes lying to yourself can be beneficial in the short term in some circumstances he’s not going to sugar coat anything to give you a lift at a particular moment. He’s generally critical, like me, but more so.”
He added: “Look, he’s a friendly guy, but when I was younger there were times when because of his desire for me to do things well training sessions were tense. Although I always knew very well that he was doing it for my own good. And I know that there are few people who could have wanted things to go well for me more than he did. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t moments when I thought: “Shit, this guy’s a pain!” But when my temper cooled down I always understood that he was doing it all for me.”
“I couldn’t have ever asked for someone better to have at my side, because the spirit and character I have had on the court, and a lot of the tough situations I have come through, were because of those times we experienced together and during which he helped me to grow as a person and an athlete. I can’t say how grateful I am for everything he has done for me. He’s the most important person in my career.”