The former long-time mentor of Rafael Nadal says he doesn’t know when the tennis star will pull the plug on his career but believes there could be a key factor that influences his decision.
Toni Nadal, who is also Nadal’s uncle, was the person who introduced him to the sport as a youngster. Under his tenure as coach, the Spaniard won 16 out of his 22 Grand Slam titles before he decided to step away from his duties at the end of 2017 to focus on other ventures. Nevertheless, Toni remains close to the world No.2 and is still seen watching him play from the sidelines at times.
The 61-year-old is perhaps one of the best people to give an insight into how much longer Nadal will continue his career. At the age of 36, he is currently the second-oldest player in the top 100 after John Isner. He made his top 10 debut in April 2005, less than two years after current world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz was born.
“I think that as long as he feels he has a chance of winning, he will continue,” Toni said of his nephew’s future in tennis during an interview with Dario AS. “When he sees that he has no options, if he goes to a tournament and has no chance of winning, I don’t think he will play. In the end, he has won too much to fold badly.’
“How much time does Rafa have left? I don’t know, it will clearly depend on his rivals, on his body…”
Nadal’s fitness has been a concern for him throughout what has been a rollercoaster season so far. Despite winning both the Australian Open and French Open, he has been hindered by an abdominal issue, as well as his long-term foot condition. Nadal suffers from Muller-Weiss syndrome which is a rare condition that can cause chronic pain in the foot.
“It could have been an extraordinary season, but it has been marred by the continual inconvenience he has had,” said Toni. “The results went well because he won Australia and Roland Garros, but you leave with a bitter taste in your mouth. At Wimbledon he couldn’t play a semifinal when he was playing well and was a clear candidate for the title, there were also problems in New York… What an athlete wants above all else is to be well and play, and also win.”
Despite the blips, Nadal is still in contention of ending the year as world No.1 for the sixth time in his career. A milestone that has only been accomplished by Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
One player challenging him for the year-end top spot is teenage sensation Alcaraz who has brushed onto the scene, winning multiple Masters 1000 titles before lifting the US Open trophy. The hype surrounding Alcaraz has soared but has it helped take any pressure off Nadal?
“I don’t think Rafael thinks about that in the slightest,” Nadal’s former mentor commented. “Rafael plays for him, he doesn’t think about whether Carlos Alcaraz, David Ferrer or even Djokovic is there. My nephew plays and the appearance of this or the other you take him knowing that he is a tough opponent.”
Nadal currently boasts a win-loss record of 38-5 heading into the final quarter of the season.
