Rafael Nadal will begin working with a former Davis Cup vice-captain and ATP coach after he was selected to join his technical team.
In a statement issued on Monday, the 22-time Grand Slam champion confirmed that he will start collaborating with Gustavo Marcaccio who has a wealth of experience in the sport. Marcaccio, who played on the men’s professional circuit before turning to coaching, is a well-known figure in his native Argentina. He is the former coach of Juan Monaco and was also the vice-captain of the Argentinian Davis Cup team. More recently, he has been working at Nadal’s academy as the Head of Men’s Tennis.
“Hello everyone. I want to inform you of the joining of Gustavo Marcaccio to the technical team,” Nadal said in a brief statement posted on social media.
“Gustavo has been working at the Rafa Nadal Academy since April 2021 and I understand he is a good addition to the team. It sure will help us a lot to stay on the road. Welcome Gustavo!”
The appointment of Marcaccio comes less than a week after Nadal’s former long-time mentor Francisco Roig decided to leave. Roig has been a key figure in the development of the tennis star after working with him for 17 years between 2005-2022. Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez remain part of Nadal’s team.
Nadal, who was voted fans’ favourite in this year’s ATP Awards, is hoping to get into top form ahead of his title defence at the Australian Open next month. This season he has won 39 out of 47 matches played on the ATP Tour, winning four titles. Besides Melbourne Park, he was also victorious at the French Open, Melbourne Summer Set and Alcapulco. Overall, he has won 92 ATP trophies so far in his career.
The 36-year-old will begin his 2023 season at the United Cup which is a mixed tournament taking place across three cities in Australia. He will play his group matches at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
