11-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal has described a comment from his uncle and former coach about his health as one that was misinterpreted.
Toni Nadal, who had worked alongside the world No.2 for the majority of his career, spoke about how much longer his nephew could continue playing on the tour. Nadal had recently been hindered by an array of injury setbacks. The most recent being a knee injury that forced him out of Indian Wells. In 2018 Nadal retired or withdrew from 11 out of 12 tournaments that was played on a hard court. The only exception was the Canadian Masters, which he won.
“Rafael wants to continue playing, despite his physical problems.” Toni said during an interview with El Pais.
“That is what will continue to be decisive. Until when, who knows. Maybe two or three more years. What I’m saying is that Rafael is not a tennis player, he’s an injured person who plays tennis, and that’s very difficult.”
Earlier this week, Nadal was questioned at the Monte Carlo Masters about what his former mentor said. He stated that his uncle misspoke at the time and he had since apologised. Nadal is back on the court, but admits that he continues to experience ‘some pain’ in his knee.
“Toni has conferences for companies every week and, sometimes, when you talk a lot you make mistakes,” Marca.com quoted him as saying.
“I also commit them, but he approached me and apologised because it sounded dramatic.
“He came to the track and told me he was sorry for saying that.
“Toni wanted to say it in a positive way, in the sense that it is very valuable to have achieved so many things after so much time being injured.”
58-year-old Toni has now said his comments has been taken out of context by the journalist who interviewed him. He says his words were meant to state that Nadal should be given higher praise in light of his injury issues. Not that the former world No.1 could retire within the next couple of years.
“I spoke of another meaning, what I meant, because we did not talk exclusively about tennis, but about youth, I said that Rafael was a boy who, despite the problems, did not prevent him from being number one, nor give the maximum level,” The Express reported Toni as saying.
“That’s what I talked about, nothing more, that’s what I wanted to say, making it clear that Rafael has played with problems like a lot of people have played, but always giving his maximum level, that I applaud him, that made his job his.
“The greatest value of sport is to overcome obstacles.”
Nadal kicked-off his clay-court campaign on Wednesday in Monte Carlo with an emphatic 6-1, 6-1, win over Roberto Bautista Agut. He will next play Grigor Dimitrov.
